The Labyrinth Revisited
by Give-Me-Your-Coffee
Summary: Jareth tricks Sarah back into the Labyrinth to make one last attempt for her love. A typical JS story, but read it anyway. : You know you wanna...
1. Default Chapter

**Disclaimer:** The Labyrinth does not belong to me, and I am not making any money off this story.

I've loved The Labyrinth ever since I was a little girl, and after reading everyone else's wonderful fanfiction, I decided I should write my own. Grin. -Coffee

-Enjoy-

Sarah rolled her chair back, away from the computer's glowing screen. It was late and she was tired, but if she didn't finish this chapter of her new book her publisher would be most displeased. Books, books, books, writting and more writting. Sarah smirked as she remembered a time when she'd thought acting was the only thing for her. Of course that had been before HIM...

After that, acting had seemed a little too bland. No part could ever measure up to the fantastic adventures she'd had in the Labyrinth with Hoggle, Sir Didymus, Ludo...and of course Jareth.... She'd tried it for awhile, with some success. Directors loved her fair skin and dark hair, so perfect for the role of the innocent maiden, and as she got older, the seductive temptress. But it wasn't the same. The roles were sadly flat. Not once did she _feel_ the emotions her characters required her to portray, and after a few years, she stopped trying.

What she discovered instead was that she could _write _fantastic characters in stories so unique and thrilling her first book reached the number one slot on the bestseller list, and stayed there for months.... Sarah found writting so much more satisfying than acting for two reasons: First, a story by Sarah Williams never had a shallow character or a boring plotline. Her works were as twisted and satisfying as the Labyrinth itself, and secondly, she enjoyed the control she had over what happened in her stories.

Since the brush with the all-consuming helplessness she'd briefly felt during her visit to the Labyrinth, Sarah had become something of a control freak. Now, she carefully measured, mixed, and rationed all aspects of her life, doing nothing she would regret later. Any risks she took were highly calculated, and her willful stubbornness was at times difficult for others to deal with. This older, wiser and more mature Sarah did things her way, and anyone who did not go along was immediately dispatched from her ranks. However, Sarah made it a point to be fair without fail, and while many found her tough, she was also pleasantly charming and highly intelligent.

Sarah knew she was difficult at times, but it was the only defense her mortal mind had against her previous brush with a certain wildly chaotic and unstable Goblin King.

Halting her unproductive daydreaming, Sarah quickly finished her chapter with a draining burst of inspiration and energy. When she was finished, she dragged her exhausted body into her bedroom, and prepared herself for some very welcome sleep. As she slipped between the sheets and reached to turn out the light, a large black and white cat jumped up on the end of her mattress, purring loudly and affectionately as he made his way to his customary position on Sarah's stomach.

Sarah emitted a small _ooof!_ as the animal curled up on top of her, but could not help smiling at the comforting feel of two tons of kitty lard sinking into her torso. Doing her best to shift as little as possible, Sarah reached up, turned off the light, and promptly fell asleep.

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"Leave my brother ALONE!"

Jareth was having a rather difficult time acquiring his most recent goblin prospect. The two boys before him were siblings, prone to fighting, and in a fit of rage, the eldest had wished the youngest away. However, upon his arrival the eldest had taken up a defensive stance, and was putting up a rather impressive fight for one who only a few minutes ago had wanted his brother turned to a goblin...

"What's said is said," The Goblin King explained with a touch of impatience. He took a step closer to the young boy, intimidating him with his height. "You wished that the child be taken away..."

"I DIDN'T MEAN IT!" The boy yelled. His small brother crouched behind him, holding on to the hem of the older boy's shirt. The oldest reached down and picked up a thick hardcover book. Holding over his head like a weapon, he cried, "Go away before I beat you up!!!"

Jareth smirked at the thought of this slip of a boy attempting to do him bodily harm. He took another step closer, carefully calculating the best way to take the youngest brother and retreat. The eldest brandished his book higher, and something caught Jareth's eye....It was a name. A name he'd done his best to forget in the past decade, and hadn't entirely succeeded. _Sarah Williams..._

The Goblin King straightened; taking a moment to ponder the ironic twist Sarah's book had brought to the situation. There was no doubt in his mind that the name on the book was _his_ Sarah Williams. _Sarah, Sarah, Sarah, became a writer did we?_ A gloved hand tapped a purposeful rhythm on his cheek, and after a moment he came to a decision.

"Give me the book, and I shall release your brother," he commanded the oldest, reaching out to receive the tome. The boy relinquished the book without hesitation.

"It's not the newest one anyway," he grumbled under his breath. Jareth glanced up sharply at hearing this.

"You mean Sarah has written other books?" he asked the child, who nodded vigorously, eager to share, now that his brother was out of danger.

"Lots!" he said. "They're better than Yu-gui-oh cards!"

Jareth sniffed at that, having not the slightest idea what Yu-gui-oh cards were, and at the same time not caring because he was certain that anything written by Sarah would undoubtedly be better than _everything... _He moved his hands over the book as though trying to remember every inch of it, looked at it from several different angles. It was _Perfect__._

With a twist of his hands, he vanished the book to the underground, and looked the two boys in the eyes.

"I will never hear from either of you again. Is that understood?"

They both nodded, looking properly chagrined. With a quirk of his eyebrow and a sigh of exasperation, Jareth wrapped his black cloak around his body and disappeared. ''

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Sarah spent the next morning in ballet class, one of the few things she'd retained from her childhood. It was a good workout, kept her flexible and graceful. It was also something that fed her need to be in control. In ballet, not one part of her body moved without her permission, and when it did have her permission, it did exactly what she wanted it to. Sarah liked that.

After her class, Sarah drove back to her apartment to shower and change. She had a book signing that afternoon and a meeting with her publisher afterwards to submit the most recent section of her latest work. A busy day.

Long shower and then a good ten minutes in front of her closet trying to decide what to wear. Given the genre of her work, her readers usually expected her to wear something bohemian. Today she was certain to be seeing young children and their parents. She decided to compromise. Sleek black trousers for the adults, White tissue-linen peasants blouse for the kids. A light touch of make-up and she found herself scrutinizing her appearance in the mirror. Her eyes, hazel in her youth, now clear green like a cats. They were her favorite feature, followed closely by her long dark hair, and creamy white skin. Satisfied she looked good, Sarah grabbed her keys and purse. She paused before leaving to fill her kitty's food and water dish. Italics came running on padded feet at the sound of Meow Mix in his bowl. Sarah stroked him for a minute, then left, locking the door behind her.

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The next day found Jareth in his throne room, on his throne, completely absorbed in Sarah's book. His feelings as he read were bittersweet. The book was filled with Sarah's essence, it was almost as if she were reading it to him. It made him think of her face, her eyes, the way she felt in his arms when they'd danced....all the reasons he'd fallen in love with her in the first place. However, it also reminded him of his defeat, his rejection at the hands of a girl who didn't fully understand the depths of what he'd offered her. Him. He'd offered himself to her, and she'd refused him.

Jareth finished the book, and somewhat reluctantly put it aside. His mind was already at work. He needed to face her again, to plead his case once more. Their last collaboration had ended so abruptly...He couldn't help but hope that maybe, just maybe, she'd change her mind.

Summoning a crystal, Jareth looked in on Sarah for the first time in years. She was surrounded by people, writting her name in books Jareth could only assume were her own. He could even see that some of the children were dressed like characters from the story. He smiled, amused.

Sarah herself was lovely to behold. Older, no doubt, and beautiful in a womanly way that hadn't been there when she'd made her way through the Labyrinth. Jareth couldn't look away, and he watched her for several minutes, taking in every detail. He was startled when she suddenly raised her head, looking alert and wary, like a hound that'd picked up on a faint scent. Somehow, Jareth knew instantly that she could feel him watching her. With a flick of his wrist, the crystal vanished, leaving the Goblin King alone with his thoughts, feeling sadly bereft.

For awhile, he wondered just how he'd get Sarah to come back to the underground. His eyes moved languidly around the room. They came to rest on her book....

Suddenly, Jareth had an idea....

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Sarah was exhausted when she came barreling through the door that night. The book signing had run over by two hours, which was partially her fault, since she always felt guilty turning people away. She'd stayed and signed every copy, answered every child's question, spoken with nearly every parent, and when she was done, there was an hour long meeting with her publisher, who felt the need to chat about how much he enjoyed her work.

Throwing her jacket, purse, and a stack of mail on the table in the hallway, Sarah nearly ran to the kitchen in search of food. Not able to wait long enough for a regular meal, she yanked a Lean Cuisine out of the freezer, removed it from its cardboard box and threw it in the microwave. It was done and bubbling by the time she came back to it, having changed into more comfortable clothing. She wolfed the dinner down.

Later, when she felt nearly human, Sarah pulled a half gallon of chocolate chunk ice cream out of the freezer. Grabbing a spoon, she plopped herself down in front of the TV and stayed there for the rest of the night. It was nearly eleven when she felt tired enough to go to bed. Shucking her sweatshirt, she climbed in wearing only her blue camisole and black dance pants. She was drifting off when she suddenly remembered the mail still sitting in the hallway. With a groan, she pulled herself away from her pillow and went to fetch it.

Climbing back into bed with the lamp on, Sarah quickly sorted through her mail. There was a large manila envelope in with her bills and correspondence. She saved it for last. She could tell it contained a book, but there was no return address. Sarah slit the seal with her letter-opener, and shook out the envelope's contents. It _was_ a book. A strange book. It was covered in designs that looked like writting, but in no language that Sarah knew. It was black, hardcover, and the designs were in silver and gold.

There was no title.

Sarah opened it to see if the title was on the inside. It took her a few minutes to comprehend, but when she did, she laughed aloud. The title of this strange book was, _The Labyrinth: A choose your own adventure story._ Flipping through it, Sarah could see that someone had taken her first book, a narrative of her adventures in the Labyrinth, and turned it into an interactive story. Intrigued, she read the disclaimer:

**_Reader beware,_**

**_This is not an ordinary book._**

**_You are responsible and accountable for the choices you make within these pages._**

**_If you win, you win._**

**_If you die, you die,_**

**_If you succumb to the Goblin King, you will belong to him forever._**

**_You have been warned._******

_What a strange way to start a book, _Sarah thought. With a shrug, she turned the page and started her own adventure. Someone had done a good job of making her story fit this format. Sarah moved seamlessly between pages, making choices about which way to turn as she moved through the labyrinth. Each turn introduced her to new characters, and occasionally brought her in contact with the Goblin King, who was a little too realistic for her liking.

She knew she was reaching the end of her adventure when her choices lead her to a showdown with the Goblin King. Eagerly, Sarah started reading the last page, which to her surprise, was nearly word for word the dialogue that has transpired between herself and the real Goblin King. Sarah continued to read with growing unease. She got to the part where Jareth silenced her and offered her dreams in crystal form once more. Here, Sarah was presented with another set of choices, which to her dismay, all pointed to endings that hadn't occurred.

The first was, _If__ you want to accept the offer of your dreams, turn to Pg. 56. _Of course, that one was to be expected. The next one was a little more discerning. _If you don't want your dreams, but wish to stay with Jareth, turn to Pg. 32. _Who had thought of that? The next one was a little more reasonable, but it still didn't fit with the original story. _If you wish to take you brother's place and send him home, turn to Pg. 43_.

These choices were strange. Obviously whoever had written this wanted Sarah and the Goblin King to stay together. _Strange!_ Sarah thought, feeling goose bumps rise on her arms. _Who would wish to STAY in the Labyrinth? With Jareth?_ True, he did have a certain appeal, but Sarah had almost lost her brother to the pretentious bastard...

Clearing her mind, Sarah looked over her choices, trying to find the one that sounded most like her. It didn't take long for her to turn to page forty-three. She continued to read.

_You tell Jareth that you're willing to take your brother's place, provided he is sent home safely. Jareth seems surprised by your decision. _

_"You do not have to stay, Sarah," he tells you. "You reached little Toby in time." The statement comes unwillingly, and Jareth will not look at you. You feel very sad. He seems to really like you._

_"I want to stay. Real life will seem so boring after all this," you say to him, smiling shyly. He smiles back, and you blush. _

_"Very well," he says, and the next thing you know, you're in your house, standing next to Toby's crib, with the Goblin King beside you. Little Toby is asleep, safe and sound, just as Jareth promised._

_"You're sure you wish to return?" he asks again, taking your hand._

_"Yes," you reply, squeezing tightly. He smiles again._

_"Sarah, I will make you happy. I promise," he says, kissing your hand while looking into your eyes. You blush again and smile. "Say the words," he says, still holding your hand. You take a deep breath, look around at what you're leaving behind, and whisper:_

_"I wish the Goblin King would take me away, right now!"_

As soon as Sarah finished reading those words, every light went out. A clock began to chime for midnight, but with thirteen chimes instead of twelve. Her bedroom window flew open, and Sarah screamed when she saw a white owl fly inside. Leaping from her bed, Sarah ran towards her front door, only to be stopped by the shadowy figure standing in front of it. The lights suddenly came back on, causing her to shield her eyes. She quickly threw her arms down and looked to the front door. Standing before her was the Goblin King. He bowed gracefully, and then crossed his arms in front of his chest. A mocking grin graced his lips.

"Hello, Sarah."


	2. Hello, Sarah

Sorry this took so long, but in the meantime THANK YOU for all the wonderful reveiws I received. :) -Coffee

-Enjoy-

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She couldn't breathe. An icy finger slowly trailed down her spine.

Every sense was heightened. Colors were brighter. She could _taste _the air. It was like being outside after a heavy lightening storm; alive and _strange..._

...Jareth had that kind of effect on you.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice an octave lower than usual. She was a statue of ice, frozen in place.

He didn't answer immediately, but stood and observed her with an intensity that made her insides twist with something too complex and slippery to be identified.

Then he was moving towards her.

Every step flowed with predatory grace that was both frightening and strangely fascinating to behold. Sarah didn't move. Her body was suddenly trembling; fine vibrations originating at the base of her spine and spreading through her limbs. He was dressed so differently, so _outrageously_, her eyes didn't know where to look first. He was dressed in black; a bizarre combination of Byronic poet and cyberpunk. A Victorian gentleman thrown into a Rave...

His eyes were locked on hers, never flinching, their unmatched colors startlingly alien. Blue and cold as ice on the left, brown and dark as chocolate on the right.

His gloved hand was reaching towards her face. She could not move. His fingers were on her skin. The leather was eerily cool to the touch, his index finger just brushing the sensitive place below her left earlobe. His thumb moved, stroking the side of her face along the jaw line. The brush was feather light, but something told Sarah he was restraining himself. The touch was growing softer, and the softer it grew, the harder she trembled.

"Why Sarah," he murmured inaudibly, yet she heard every word "You've grown up."

His voice was low and mellifluous, his face imperturbably calm.

Her eyes filled with tears. She didn't know or understand why. She moved her cheek against the palm of his hand. His eyes were gleaming...

"Yes," she managed to croak in reply. She was drowning in his eyes. Their faces were moving closer. Alarms were screaming in her head. Something was happening, something that wasn't supposed to happen. Something she didn't _want_ to happen. Sarah blinked and stepped back in confusion....

...The spell was broken.

The Goblin King before her pulled back as well, wrapping himself in a cloak of cold indifference and arrogance.

She took a deep breath, her eyes wide. Her mind couldn't begin to understand what had just happened. Didn't _want_ to. A flash of anger shot through her, warming her body. She could feel her toes again. _How dare he..._

"What are you doing here?" she asked again. This time her voice was strong. She was ready to fight.

"I should think it was obvious," replied Jareth, his eyes narrowing, his tone dangerous.

"Perhaps you should clarify," Sarah snarled through gritted teeth, feeling completely out of her element and kicking herself for it.

"Well Sarah," said Jareth, speaking as though she were a very small child, "I've come for _you_."

Her mind went blank, her stomach dropped. She couldn't think straight, she was too disoriented. _Damn him!_

"I don't understand..."

He sighed as though her ignorance were too much. The gesture stung. Her temper flared.

"...And I don't think I want to," she finished, her tone frigid. She brushed past him and into the kitchen. "You may leave," she called haughtily over her shoulder. For a moment she gloated, placing her hands on the marble countertop.

She could suddenly feel his anger behind her, rolling over her in waves that scorched the hairs on the back of her neck. Sarah flinched, glad she was facing away so he couldn't see...and then it was gone. Just...gone.

Sarah thought maybe Jareth himself had disappeared, but she didn't wish to turn around and look, because he might think she cared. Instead, she reached into the cupboard over her head and pulled down her favorite mug. She'd make a cup of tea. That should show him how much she acknowledged his presence...

...Someone was standing behind her. Standing so close that if she moved, she would back into them. For the second time that night, Sarah froze.

"I'll explain it to you, Sarah," hummed an elemental voice in her ear. "It's really very simple." He began to recite clearly:

"_You are responsible and accountable for the choices you make within these pages._

_If you win, you win._

_If you die, you die,_

_If you succumb to the Goblin King, you will belong to him **forever**...."_

Sarah felt a horribly cold sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. _A strange book shows up in my mail. I don't know who it's from, but I read it anyway. It warns me, says I'll be held accountable for the choices I make, but I read it anyway. The endings were wrong, but I chose one of them anyway. The words to wish myself away were there. I READ them. I **READ** THEM!_

Sarah dropped her mug. It shattered on the tile, just inches from her bare feet. _I CHOSE to stay with him...I chose it, and I wished myself away! Stupid girl! Stupid, stupid, STUPID!_

"No," she whispered.

"Yes," Jareth replied, placing his hands on her upper arms. His leather gloves were cool once more against her suddenly feverish skin.

"You tricked me!" she hissed, shaking his hands off and turning to face him. "You sent me that book! You made all the endings with me staying in the Labyrinth..."

"Not _all_ the endings..."

"How dare you! You have no _right_! It's...it's...."

"Not fair?" The Goblin King supplied with an arrogant grin.

"Try SICK! Twisted! Perverted!" she screamed jerking away, noticing in the back of her mind that he'd done away with the broken mug fragments.

"Perverted, now there's one I haven't heard recently..."

She raised a hand to slap him. He caught it easily in mid-air, effectively deflecting her blow. She tried to yank her hand away, but he held it too tightly.

"Let go of me!" she hissed, giving him a look that made other people cringe and slink away. He only looked amused.

"Has anyone ever told you? You're beautiful when you're angry." He was calmly massaging small circles into her palm. She felt a confusing rush of attraction, which only served to make her angrier.

"I hate you," she growled, struggling to get away once more.

He laughed in her face, but let her go.

"You don't hate me Sarah," he said, grinning devilishly and moving away. "You just think you do."

"You're wrong!" she snapped as he left the kitchen area. "No one _could_ like you! You're intolerable! Period!"

He showed no sign of having heard her and began to explore her living space, picking things up and examining them, starting with one of her own books, which was lying on the coffee table.

"Oh! Don't!" she cried, running up and wrenching the book from his grasp. "Don't touch anything!"

"Oh? And why not?" he asked, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow.

"Because it's _mine_! And it's where _I_ put it! And it's where it's going to _stay_, completely un-desecrated by the Goblin King."

Jareth frowned.

"Perhaps you're not as grown up as I thought, Sarah. You still haven't learned to share your toys."

Sarah's face grew red with anger. She tried to hurl another insult at him, but was too angry to think straight.

"Besides," Jareth continued unaffected. "I've already read that one."

Sarah's face went from red to white.

"You've read my books?" she whispered in horror.

"Not all of them of course. I've only just discovered your work. Might I say, however, you are a very talented author, Sarah Williams." He held her eyes for a moment to assure her of his sincerity. There was a beat and he continued. "In fact, it was your work that inspired me to a bit of my own authorship..."

Comprehension dawned, and Sarah bolted from the room retreating to her bedroom to grab the book that had started this whole fiasco. It was lying innocently on the floor where she'd thrown it in her attempt to escape out the front door. She picked it up, wondering how this innocuous little thing had gotten her into so much trouble.

As she made to return to the living room, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. realizing in horror she was wearing a thin blue camisole, meant for sleeping and not confronting Goblin Kings, she ran to the dresser and quickly put on a bra and a white shirt. Over that she zipped up a blue pullover. Grateful she'd at least showered when she'd gotten home, Sarah shoved her feet into a pair of clogs and flung herself back into the living room to throw the little black book with its gold and silver designs in Jareth's face.

"Take it back!" she hissed. "I want nothing to do with it or you!"

There was a pause while he observed her change of outfit. Feeling the scrutiny, Sarah crossed her arms uncomfortably. At last he looked back at her face, his jaw set in a determined line.

"You chose to stay with me Sarah, and now you must honor that decision."

His other hand reached out and gripped her wrist.

"NO!" she cried, jerking away. "You CAN'T take me!"

"I can," Jareth replied, his eyes cold. "And I will."

Sarah frantically cast her mind out for another option, another way......and then she had it.

"I will run the Labyrinth," she said firmly. Jareth's eyes narrowed to ugly slits.

"You foolish girl," he hissed. "What makes you think I'd let you defeat my Labyrinth again? "

"I did it before," Sarah said, standing tall. Jareth suddenly smiled, a soft dangerous smile that made Sarah's blood run cold.

"Yes Sarah," he whispered, his voice gentle and tempting. "But the Labyrinth has changed since you left....It's become bigger, stronger, and more terrible than ever before. You won't last an hour inside..."

"We'll see about that," Sarah shot back, although she suddenly felt afraid. What new challenges would she face? What new horrors were in store?

Jareth's face hardened.

"Very well," he said, pulling her to him. Sarah sputtered in outrage, but suddenly the whole world was spinning, and she was forced to hold tight to Jareth, wrapping her arms around him. It was over in a minute, and she pushed him away, not noticing how queerly his eyes shone in disappointment.

Before her was The Labyrinth, huge, sprawling and ten times more twisted than she remembered. Cold dread formed in the pit of her stomach, but she held her head high.

"It doesn't look that far."

"It's further than you think,"

A clock appeared before her with thirteen hours, just like before. Sarah took a deep breath.

"Sarah..." it was so soft and sad. She turned to face Jareth. "Please reconsider...." he took her hand and held it in his own. "What I wrote in that book was the truth. You'd be happy with me. More so than you can ever imagine, I swear it..."

Something hurt deep inside her chest, but Sarah pushed it away and shook her head.

"No," she said, pulling her hand away. "I can't."

Jareth was quiet for a moment, studying her intently. At last he reached up and stroked her face tenderly.

"Such a pity," he whispered.

And then he was gone.

Feeling very alone and uncertain, Sarah turned towards the huge maze. Memories of years past flowed through her mind. Toby. Hoggle. Jareth. Ludo. Sir Didymus. Jareth. The goblins. Jareth....

Shaking, she took her first steps into a new adventure.

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Jareth watched Sarah moodily in a crystal from the castle. Things were not going as he'd planned. The fact that Sarah might want to go through the Labyrinth once more had not occurred to him. He had not expected her to resist him so forcefully. He continued to watch her, and slowly a grin formed on his face as he thought of a plan.

She would belong to him yet....


	3. Demons, and Spiders, and Jareth, Oh my!

Yay! Another chapter! Thank you for my reviews...I'm so glad everyone likes this. Coffee

Enjoy

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It was _cold._

Much colder than she remembered.

Sarah stepped carefully over dead branches and debris, strolling cautiously down the long straight corridor of stone that seemed endless. With her fingertips, she was carefully brushing the wall as she moved along, searching intently for an opening. She found none.

A bitterly cold gust of wind blew past her. Sarah zipped her pullover up a little higher on the neck, shivering and wishing she'd thought to bring something else. Something warmer. At least her clogs were comfortable, made for walking.

She was tired.

She'd had a busy day, more than enough to make her want to seek reprieve in a fluffy pillow, and now this.

It was different this time. She was no longer fifteen. Back then, the Labyrinth had seemed like a fantastic adventure, a journey outside of reality. It had been dangerous of course, but that was to be expected. Her quest to save Toby had been only a small extension of the fantasies she'd created in her head, and thus she'd never perceived it as perilous, never truly understood that maybe she wouldn't succeed. Like a virtual reality game, Sarah had taken the Labyrinth seriously enough to duck when the bad guys shot at her, but never consciously realized that if she were hit, there would be no second chance, no free life, no way to put in more quarters and try again.

This time, she was entirely aware of the risk to her livelihood, and the enchanting Labyrinth of the past was now infused with harsh cold reality.  This was the adult version of the Labyrinth. This time, it was _herself_ she was trying to save, and this time, there was no turning back.

The corridor continued to stretch on unendingly before her. Sarah realized it was no good to try and take the same route she had before; Jareth would have seen to that. It would be too easy....

That was another thing. Not only was she dealing with Labyrinth: The Reality, she was also sparring with Jareth, whereas before, he'd only been something of a meddling spectator. This time he was out to get her, and she could only imagine what tricks he had up his sleeve...

And hour later, she had to stop and rest. There were no openings. At least none that she could feel, and she didn't have the slightest clue as to how else she could get out of this corridor.

_By this time last time, you'd reached the oubliette. _She thought in frustration. Sighing, she took a look around. _But then again, this isn't last time..._

She stood again and started walking. Soon, walking turned to running. The debris in her path was growing bigger, thicker. It wasn't long before she tripped on an unseen root. Flailing and trying to recover, she took another awkward step, lost her balance and started to fall to the side. Her arms flew up to protect her body from the stone wall....but met no resistance. Sarah fell to the ground...soft ground. Dirt, rich and musky. It was dark. She looked up in surprise. She'd found an opening....

Standing up and brushing herself off, Sarah took in her surroundings. She couldn't see well. Whatever this place was, it was night, and everything was visible only by light from the full moon overhead. Sarah saw rocks. Lots of rocks, of all shapes and sizes. She turned to see the place she'd fallen through, but found only solid rock face behind her. She'd walked through the rock of a cliff wall. She was at the bottom of a canyon. Timidly, she ran a hand along the jagged surface until she felt the opening. It was still there.

This new place was eerie, but Sarah ventured deeper into it, thinking at least she was making some progress. The environment reminded her of when she was eight years old, the first time she'd snuck out of the house to recite poetry in the park by moonlight: Scared but tingling. There was something about being under a full moon that was magical. It made your blood sing, made you feel strange.

Sarah walked a little farther in the soft dirt, making her way around boulders of various sizes. There were a few trees.  The moonlight threw strange shadows everywhere and made the rocks look like they were sometimes moving.... Sarah hoped that wasn't the case. In a way this place was oddly beautiful with its dark shadows and silver patches, but Sarah was on edge. Something just didn't feel right.

She looked behind her to see how far she'd come. She could still see the huge cliff face behind her. The ground was growing marshy beneath her feet. She was starting to see green growth, things like cattails and moss on the rocks. The air was musky and thick and primitive. Sarah felt like maybe she'd gone back in time...

The rocks were smaller, pebbles and silt. She wondered if maybe she'd find a river, perhaps the river that carved out this canyon...

Something in front of her was glowing. It was a strange whitish-green color that reminded Sarah of the glow-in-the-dark stars she'd had on her bedroom ceiling. It was oddly out of place in this esoteric nocturnal world. Sarah got closer to investigate.

It was a web, made from strands as thick as rope, built between two tall trees in front of a large boulder, and it was _huge_. Sarah couldn't help but stare at it, mesmerized, trying to figure out what it was doing here. It reminded her of the plastic glowing web she'd put on her door at Halloween. _Maybe it's covered in some sort of phosphorescent algae, _Sarah thought distractedly. _The glow must attract bugs_.

At that moment, a mosquito the size of a helicopter landed on her arm. Sarah shrieked and slapped it off. _Christ! The bugs here are BIG! _She thought, focusing on the web once more. It was like a bizarre piece of abstract art that some crazed artist had thrown in the swamp to make a surrealist picture. She couldn't stop starring at it.

The top left corner of the web was rippling strangely. Sarah looked up and focused on that part, which was almost a full story above her head. The rippling movement was slowly spreading to the center. Sarah was confused by it. There was something wrong with the way it was moving. It was too located; too precise...she didn't have the words to explain it.

Suddenly, it came to her; the web wasn't moving. There was a shadow of some sort passing across it. She glanced up at the cloudless sky, confused. Her heart began to beat fast. _Something's moving across that web...something that's ON the web....._

Sick fear spread over her, her skin went clammy.

_Back away...Back away slowly..._

She could see the thing clearly now, highlighted in the moonlight.

 In the middle of the glowing web was the biggest spider Sarah had ever seen....

....And it was moving towards her.

Eight legs moving autonomously from each other with a quickness that was alien and sickening to behold. Sarah could see markings on its abdomen. They glowed just like its web. Eight eyes were fixed on her, shining in the moonlight. She could see fangs below the eyes and from the fangs dripped a viscous, glowing liquid. She was frozen, sick with horror. In her head flashed a scene from a bad science fiction movie she'd watched as a child; a scene lit with a black-light. It made the monsters of the film glow in the dark. They'd been translucent with waxy skin that reminded her of mushrooms and made her nauseated. The movie had terrified her, and she felt like she was trapped in it right now.

She turned and ran.

There was a scuttling noise behind her, more terrifying than any sound Sarah had ever her in her life. She screamed and ran harder, running back to the rock face, to the opening through which she's entered this dark frightening place.

The spider was following her.

"Help!" Sarah screamed. "Hoggle! Ludo!! ANYBODY!"

It was gaining on her. Her legs were like rubber. They didn't move fast enough.

She ran into something warm. It wrapped its arms around her.

"You called?" whispered an elemental voice in her ear.

Sarah threw Jareth off and continued to run.

She could still hear it coming after her, its pointy little legs scrabbling over rocks and dirt. The rocks were getting bigger now. She had to run around them and between them.

"You won't make it," said a calm voice. She saw _him_ out of the corner of her eye as she ran past. She could see the wall of rock in front of her. She splayed her body against it, trying to cover as much area as possible, trying to find the way out.

"I could stop it, you know," he was leaning against the rock face, looking for the entire world like he was out for a pleasant stroll. His hair was gleaming in the moonlight.

"Then why DON'T you!" she screamed back at him, slapping at the rock with her bare hands. _Where is the opening!?_

"Well you see, it will cost you."

Sarah shot him a look of disgusted disbelief and continued to feel frantically along the wall.

Behind her, the scrambling noises stopped. Sarah turned in surprise.

It was sitting on top of a rock, bigger than she'd thought; it was the size of a horse.

It was watching her.

_WHERE IS THE OPENING!!!???_

Not taking her eyes away from the giant arachnid, Sarah pressed her back to the rock face and slowly moved her body along it. Jareth watched with keen interest.

"You're going the wrong way," he pointed out courteously.

"Shut up!!" she half hissed, half sobbed, not knowing which she hated more; Jareth or the spider.

It jumped on her like lightning

She screamed. She could feel the points of four of its legs digging into her cotton shirt. The fangs were dangerously close to her neck. She kicked it from underneath, and the spider backed away, giving her just enough room to pull up her leg between them and kick it in the eyes. It backed up farther, giving Sarah room to move along the wall the other way. The spider moved on her too quickly, blocking her path. She tried to kick it again, but she wasn't fast enough. It moved away and back, trapping her against the rock face with no room to escape.

Its disgusting head began to sway side to side, completely at odds with its furry abdomen. Sarah felt hypnotized, she couldn't look away from the horrifying sight in front of her. It was doing a predatory dance. It scuttled two steps to the right, and two to the left, moving precisely with deadly intent. Instinctly, Sarah knew this dance was a ploy to make the prey try to flee before it pounced. She didn't move.

Suddenly the spider reared, four of its legs spread up into the air in some sick form of worship. It reminded Sarah of an angry crab on the beach as it began its two-step dance left to right. She swallowed, trying not to scream. She looked at Jareth who was standing, arms crossed, a few feet away. He looked...amused. _I hate you._

The spider moved away, and then pounced on her again, this time pinning her to the wall with four of its legs. She could feel the furry glowing abdomen brushing against her knees. Her throat swelled with fear. She couldn't scream...

It was bleeding from where she kicked it. The blood and the viscous fluid from its fangs mingled and dripped on her. It was hot. Its weight was crushing her. She couldn't breathe. Any minute she'd feel the piece of its fangs...

_Oh God..._

"Sarah!" It was Jareth. Why did he sound concerned? He didn't care about her....She squeezed her eyes shut, hands flailing frantically in a vague attempt to find the opening.

_Oh God..._

She hoped it would be quick. She hoped it wouldn't hurt. She hoped the spider had Jareth for dessert.....

Suddenly it was gone.

The weight was gone, she could breathe again. She didn't open her eyes. She was too afraid.

"Sarah," his voice was too tender, too achingly sweet. She was trembling all over. She couldn't stop.

His hand was touching her face again. Again, cool leather on skin...It was too much. She jerked herself away and opened her eyes quickly, just in time to see the hurt in his eyes before they became blank and expressionless.

They stared at each other, neither one speaking. At last, he broke the silence.

"Are you alright?"

She nodded affirmatively, not able to trust her voice. He was looking at her again, examining her with his eyes. After a minute, he approached her with a hand raised. He passed it over the place where the spider had bled and drooled on her, and the stains disappeared.

"T-th-thank you," she quavered and slid to the ground, shaking with excess adrenaline. Again there was silence. Then Jareth carefully sat down beside her, not too close, but not far enough away that she couldn't reach over and smack him if she wanted to.

"Catch your breath," he said. The thirteen hour clock appeared before them. Jareth concentrated on it and the hands stopped moving.

"Thank you," she managed again, still shaking. _Why are you thanking him???_ Her brain screamed at her. _He got rid of the spider._ She replied._ Why?!_ Her mind hurled back at her. The question gave Sarah pause. Why _had_ Jareth gotten rid of the spider? Wasn't that the point of the game? She had to die or give up...right? Confused, she shot a distrustful glance at the Goblin King sitting beside her. Jareth was observing the landscape before him. If he noticed her glare, he didn't show it.

Sarah didn't like it. He'd saved her from the spider, and now she felt like she owed him something, even though it was his fault she was even here at all...or was that hers? After, she had chosen to come here, didn't she?

And why was he sitting next to her all buddy-buddy like? Like they weren't mortal enemies, like they weren't fighting each other at all?

Sarah was frustrated. Too many unanswered questions that she shouldn't have to be asking in the first place. Sarah didn't enjoy the unknown. She either knew it or she didn't, and if she didn't, it wasn't important, and if it ever did become important, she'd find the answer in her own time in her own way on her own terms. Besides, what did it matter that he'd done away with the spider? Jareth was the bad guy, would always be the bad guy, and he'd proven it by tricking her into making a wish with that little black book. Regardless of what he did, or how nice he was to her, or how much he helped her, he would always be the villain....

...But why did that make her uncomfortable? Why did she feel....regretful?

Jumping to her feet, she pushed these thoughts to the back of her mind. She didn't have time to ponder these strange feelings now. Especially not with him sitting right there.

"I'm ready," she said, looking down at him.

"Are you?" he queried, rising gracefully, his question rhetorical.

"What do you mean?" she asked, taking a step back.

"Oh Sarah, Sarah, Sarah," he replied with mock disappointment, shaking his head and circling her at the same time. "I don't think you're ready at all." He came to a stop, standing directly in front of her, much closer than she would've liked. She glared at him.

"And why is that?"

He smiled evilly.

"Look around you, my dear. You've had nightmares about places like this. _Dark_ places..."

"Everyone has nightmares about _dark places_," she interrupted coldly, mimicking his accent. "What's your point?"

"My point is," Jareth replied, his eyes narrowing dangerously, "You're obviously incapable of handling your nightmares alone."

"And you're obviously incapable of leaving ME alone," she snapped back, pushing past him to search the rock face for the opening. "According to that clock, I have close to twelve hours left to solve this Labyrinth, and I'd appreciate it if you'd stop breathing down my neck."

Jareth chuckled at her, seeming genuinely amused. Sarah shook her head at this most recent mercurial mood change, still moving along the rock wall.

"Honestly Sarah, I was just trying to be nice," he commented with absolute sincerity, which only convinced Sarah of his insincerity.

"If you wanted to be nice, you'd tell me where Hoggle and the rest of my friends are. In fact, you wouldn't have tricked me into coming here in the first place."

"I believe you were the one who requested this little romp, _Sarah_," again that infuriating smirk.

"You know what I mean, _Jareth_," she replied, turning to face him.

"Hmmm," said Jareth. "I believe I do." He put a finger to his lips and appeared to be considering something. After a moment, he smiled a devilish grin. "Very well, to demonstrate my good sportsmanship, I'd be willing to grant your request for the assistance of your friends..." His tone was conditional. He paused.

"But..." Sarah prompted.

"But I would require a demonstration in return."

Sarah wasn't sure what he meant.

"I don't understand..."

There was a pause.

"I require a kiss."

Sarah face was a study in the expression of disgust.

"I think not," she replied disdainfully, and turned again to face the wall. Suddenly he was behind her, his hands firmly gripping her upper arms.

"Think carefully, Sarah," he hissed in her ear. "I could just as easily give you a demonstration of my anger....Or perhaps you'd enjoy being reunited with your friend the Spider?"

Without meaning to, Sarah trembled. Her fear caused her brain to start churning. _One kiss_. She thought._ One cheap, meaningless kiss and you get your friends. They can help, and all you have to do is kiss the pig. It's a bargain, not submission, and when you win, you can spit in his face to let him know how little it meant to you. Do it._

She turned to face him, pulling out of his grip as she did so. The tips of her fingers were tingling.

"One kiss, and Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus will appear here to help me through the Labyrinth without interference from you?"

"I will not interfere with any assistance they give you."

"That means no peaches, no ordering them to take me back to the start, no making them disappear..."

"Correct."

Clenching her jaw, Sarah nodded. "All right then."

There was a sudden light in Jareth's eyes.

 "A wise decision, Sarah," he said, pulling her to him. She closed her eyes, praying that this would be over with quickly. She was surprised to feel the feather-light touch on her cheek again, a gentle stroking motion that made her shiver for quite a different reason than before. She did not dare to open her eyes. The touch began on the other side of her face as well, his hands cupping her jaw in a way that was entirely opposite the force she'd been expecting. She opened her eyes.

His gaze was intently focused on her mouth. He seemed to be savoring the moment. Carefully, he brushed the leather covered pad of his thumb over her lower lip and then back again to trace the upper. His gloves were soft and cool to the touch. Sarah was shivering. When he finally lowered his mouth to hers, she lifted her face halfway to meet him

The kiss began warm and languid, filled with gentleness Sarah had never guessed Jareth possessed. She found herself leaning into him, willingly pressing her mouth to his, and kissing him back. One hand left her face and she felt an arm sliding around her waist, pulling her closer but not forcefully. _Oh_, thought Sarah. _Oh wow..... Who knew kissing Jareth would be like this?_

Her arms wrapped themselves around his shoulders. One of her hands slid up his neck and into his hair. It was soft as liquid silk, and soon her other hand came up to join it. She was playing with his hair and pulling his head closer to hers. It was wonderful...

Suddenly, he jerked himself away, and Sarah remembered herself, remembered why she was there, and why she'd kissed him in the first place.

His eyes were huge. He was breathing fast, staring at her like he'd never seen her before. She saw something flash in his eyes, something akin to joy, but it was gone too quickly to be sure. He straightened and a ghost of his usual mocking smile returned.

"Thank-you, Sarah."

And then he was gone, leaving humiliation spreading through her. _How did that meaningless kiss turned into...into....whatever that was? What the hell was I thinking?!_ Sarah screamed to herself. __

_You liked it,_ A part of her brain whispered. _That was the best kiss you've ever had...._

Her face flushed red with shame. Things had gotten way out of hand.

_It wasn't supposed to mean anything,_ she thought.

But it did.


	4. She talks to rocks

Sorry this took so long. I ran out of caffeinated inspiration....;)

"Sawah!"

Something large and furry pulled her into a bone crunching hug from behind. Sarah knew who it was right away. Happy warmth flowed through her and she consciously pushed all thoughts of Jareth to the back of her mind to worry about later.

"Ludo!" she yelped, hugging the shaggy beast back as hard as she could. She felt arms wrap around her legs. Turning quickly she found herself facing Sir Didymus and Hoggle. Squealing she fell to her knees to hug each one of them in turn, crying each of their names joyfully as they turned her into a Sarah sandwich.

"'Bout time you came 'ter visit us," grumbled Hoggle pulling back, embarrassed.

"I know," Sarah replied a little ruefully, stroking Ambrosias whom she'd just found hiding behind a rock. "It's been too long."

"What brings thee here fair lady?" asked Sir Didymus, placing a tiny paw on her knee.

Sarah told them the whole story up until the part where she'd kissed Jareth. There, she hesitated, deciding to omit this particular part of the story. As it stood, she was still unsure of exactly what had just happened.

"...So I asked Jareth where I could find you, since he'd clearly expressed that he didn't think I could make it through this place on my own, and next thing I knew, he was gone and you were here."

They were walking as they talked. Sarah had led them through the opening in the cliff face, and they were now strolling along the interminable passageway Sarah had been in before. She was still adjusting to the light.

Hoggle was looking at her suspiciously.

"So Jareth just brought us to you out of the kindness of his heart, did he?" his tone was sarcastic.

Sarah did not reply. Hoggle sighed and shook his head, but dropped the subject as Sarah knew he would.

Now that she was a little older, she got the feeling that Hoggle had a small crush on her that younger Sarah hadn't picked up on. Hoggle knew Jareth had an....interest... in her, and she knew it made him jealous, but there was nothing she could do about it. And as for that kiss, Sarah's body warmed at the thought, the less Hoggle knew, the better. He was the only one in her life that could make her feel guilty about the choices she made, and since nothing could really every happen with her and her dwarf friend, Sarah saw no need to make things worse or more awkward.

"We need to get out of here," she said, suddenly feeling the pressure of the situation. How much time did she have left? "Which way should we go Hoggle?"

"Dammed if I know," Hoggle replied, looking around. "His Highness aint let me in here since you left. It's all been shifted."

"Shifted?' asked Sarah, looking down at her friend. "You mean there's no way through?"

"There's a way," replied Hoggle. "I just don't know what it is."

Sarah huffed in frustration. She remembered her lipstick trail from before, and how the walls had shifted on her as she moved around inside the huge maze.

"How does the Labyrinth shift, Hoggle?" Sarah asked, leaning against the stone wall after making sure it was solid.

"It has a mind of its own," Hoggle replied. "And sometimes Jareth tells it what 'ter do."

"Is that how Jareth gets through it?" Sarah asked, very curious now. "He tells the Labyrinth where he wants to go, and it just takes him there?"

"I don't know," said Hoggle. "Jareth scares me."

He gave her a meaningful glance that said; _And__ he should scare you too._

Sarah slid to the ground, her back against the stone wall. She needed a minute to think.

_Maybe it's not a command,_ she thought._ Maybe Jareth just thinks about where he wants to go and the Labyrinth puts him there? No, that can't be right. Jareth maybe has some control over the Labyrinth, I've seen him do things inside it, but the maze itself seems to function on its own, without his interference. Jareth is the Goblin King. He controls the __Goblin__City__, and the castle, and the Goblins themselves. _

_But the Labyrinth isn't a part of any of those things. It has its own mind, its own magic. I've seen Jareth make parts of the Labyrinth work, like the trap door that put Hoggle and I in the Bog of Eternal Stench, but was that Jareth, or the Labyrinth itself? Maybe he doesn't have as much control in here as I think he does? I met friends and had help along the way last time I was here. Jareth wouldn't have allowed that to happen, would he? Did the Labyrinth stop him? Maybe he has to ask the Labyrinth's permission? Is the Labyrinth smart? Would it understand me if I asked it to make me a path to the castle?_

_I don't have magic like Jareth does. Maybe that's how they communicate, Jareth and the Labyrinth, through magic..._

Something about her last thoughts struck Sarah as meaningful. A line from The Labyrinth flashed through her head. _The king of the Goblins had fallen in love with the girl, and he had given her certain powers..._ For some reason, Sarah had always thought that meant that the King in the story had granted the girl the ability to wish her brother away, but the line had said _powers._ Plural. Maybe it wasn't so far fetched to think that she too had the ability to communicate with the Labyrinth.

Of course, that was assuming her theories were true, and she had no reason to believe they were.

But wait! Sarah suddenly remembered Ludo, and the way he always told her, 'Rocks friends.' She thought about the first time she met Ludo, suspended upside down being tortured by goblins with nipper sticks. She remembered wishing aloud for something to throw, and how conveniently those rocks had appeared at her feet. She'd thought later that Ludo had called the rocks to her to help him out...but maybe he wasn't just talking to the rocks...maybe it was something bigger. Could Ludo know how to talk to the Labyrinth?

"Ludo?" she asked?

"Yah?" Ludo replied, looking at her.

"Are all rocks your friends?"

Ludo looked puzzled for a moment, then smiled and nodded.

"Yah, rocks friends," he said.

Sarah stood up and put her hand on the wall.

"Are these rocks your friends?"

Ludo looked at the wall and nodded.

"Rocks friends."

Hope jumped inside Sarah.

"Ludo, do you remember how we met?"

Ludo nodded.

"And do you remember how I threw rocks at those goblins to make them go away?"

Ludo nodded again. "Ludo hurt. Sawah friend."

Sarah smiled.

"That's right. How did you call those rocks, Ludo?"

Ludo looked confused.

"Ludo not call rocks," he said, shaking his shaggy head.

Now Sarah was confused.

"You didn't call those rocks I threw?"

Ludo shook his head again. "No, Ludo not call rocks. Ludo hurt. Sawah friend. Sawah call rocks."

Now Sarah was really confused.

"I called the rocks? How did I call the rocks?"

"Rocks friends. Sawah friend. Sawah, rocks, friends."

Sarah frowned, trying to understand what this all meant. Was Ludo saying that she had the power to control the rocks? Or that the sentient Labyrinth viewed her favorably? She picked up a rock the size of her fist.

"Ludo, if I asked this rock to lead me to the center of the Labyrinth, would it work?"

Ludo nodded affirmatively.

"Rocks friends!"

"My Lady!" cried Sir Didymus. "Methinks thou hast found our way!"

Sarah shook her head in disbelief.

"How is this possible?" she asked aloud. "Is it some form of magic? Is the Labyrinth alive somehow? Is that why the rocks respond to Ludo's calls?" She looked at the rock in her hand. It was a dull gray color, smooth and round.

"It's worth a try, Sarah. It's the only plan we got," Hoggle said earnestly.

Sarah sighed. Kneeling, she set the grey rock carefully on the ground. Taking a deep breath and feeling very foolish, she addressed it.

"I need to get to the center of the Labyrinth," she told the rock. "Could you please show me the way?"

They waited for a breathless minute, and then, to Sarah's great astonishment, the rock began to move. It rolled away from her quickly in a manner that completely defied gravity.

In a burst of excitement, Sarah leapt to her feet and trotted after the rolling stone.

"Come on!" she called. The other's quickly followed.

The stone rolled onward, then suddenly stopped as though waiting for its followers to catch up. They did, slightly out of breath.

"Could you please go a little slower?" Sarah asked it. The rock obliged, making a sharp left and rolling through the stone wall, or at least that's what Sarah thought until she followed it and saw that the stone had moved into a passageway just like the one the small worm had shown her before.

"It seems to be working!" she said to the others, giving Ludo an affectionate squeeze. "Thanks for the idea, Ludo." The shaggy ginger beast smiled happily.

The stone rolled forward, leading them down into an underground tunnel lit by torches set in sconces on the wall. It was just enough light to see by, and the tunnel was fortunately large enough for Ludo to fit comfortably.

The rock had slowed its pace enough for all of them to walk comfortably, and while they followed the stone, Sarah caught up on all the news of her friends, and filled them in on the details of her adult life as well. Sir Didymus began a long winded story regarding a quest he'd sent himself on, and Sarah found herself sliding in and out of attention. There were many things going around in her own head.

First, there was the shock of actually being here in the Labyrinth. True, it was beginning to wear off, but even so....

Second, there was the fact that she hadn't slept in over twenty-four hours, and she was beginning to feel it.

Third, there was Jareth.

Jareth; it was one word for a whole slew of conflicting emotions, memories and confusion.

She suddenly understood now, in a way she hadn't before, the nature of her feelings for Jareth: She was attracted to him. Sarah hadn't been attracted to many men in her lifetime, so in her mind this was a larger issue than it would be for other women, or so she thought. She was slightly angry with her body for betraying her and forming a physical attachment to this man. Not only was he out of the question, he was also a hunter looking for weaknesses in his prey, and in Sarah's opinion, physical attraction was a definite weakness.

What bothered her more was that Jareth was showing every indication of being attracted to her as well. This made him even more dangerous in Sarah's eyes. Jareth was the sort of man who played with women like her, took advantage of the fact that they were attracted to him. He would make her believe that he loved her, and then when she finally allowed herself to love him back, he would break her heart. It had happened to Sarah before. Men liked her body, and they would pull out all the stops to get it. They didn't give a damn about her mind, but she never realized it until too late, and by then....they were gone.

And this wasn't your typical dating scenario either. At least in the real world, if Sarah got hurt she could deal and move on with her life. Here, now, if Sarah lost, she was Jareth's to toy with for eternity.

That's why she feared him,

That's why she hated him,

That's what made him so dangerous,

That's why she found him irresistible.

Dangerous men were always irresistible.

Sarah shook her head to clear it. She _would_ resist Jareth, regardless of what a good kisser her was.

And he was a good kisser.

The rock was rolling steadily onward, and Sarah suddenly had a chilling mental flash of a crystal in its place. She remembered standing with Hoggle, listening to the stone faces spout their false warnings, and seeing a crystal roll by. That crystal had led them to Jareth, dressed as a beggar.

It suddenly occured to Sarah that maybe this was a little too easy. She didn't doubt that this rock would lead her and her friends to the castle, but surely Jareth would try to mess it up somehow, make it harder?

As soon as this thought cleared her mind, she saw up ahead an intersection: Three tunnels branching off of the one they were currently in. The rock stopped moving, waiting again for them to catch up.

Once they had, the rock began rolling down the tunnel the furthest to Sarah's left.

"Wait!" she called to it. Hoggle was breathing hard, his short legs had been struggling to keep up with her long ones. "We'll stop a minute," she said. "Anyone know what's down this tunnel?"

No one nodded 'yes'. Sarah sighed.

"It seems so tame compared to last time. What happened to all the riddles? The oubliettes? The Bog of Eternal Stench?"

"You're wishing fer the Bog of Eternal Stench?" Hoggle rolled his eyes.

"No!" Sarah said quickly. "It just seems too easy."

Hoggle didn't seem to know what to say to that. He looked around suspiciously.

"You think _he's_ watchin' us?" Hoggle whispered.

"If he is," Sarah said neutrally. "He's not interfering. And that makes me nervous. You don't happen to be hiding any peaches do you Hoggle?"

Hoggle gave Sarah a dirty look, and she couldn't help but grin at him.

"Shall we continue to follow the stone, My Lady?" asked Sir Didymus. Ludo gave a questioning grumble.

"Yes," said Sarah, stretching her tired limbs and revealing her ballet flexibility. "We'll just have to hope that we can deal with whatever it leads us to."

They prepared to start moving again, and Sir Didymus led the way into the tunnel followed by Hoggle, who was followed by Ludo. Sarah moved to follow him when something caught her eye.

There was a strange glimmer in the tunnel next to the one she'd been about to enter. Something inside it was sparkling like a diamond. Sarah was entranced.

"Hold on!" she called, walking over to the entrance of the second tunnel and peering down it. Whatever it was, it was beautiful, and it was only a little ways inside. Sarah entered the tunnel, driven by a sudden need to understand the nature of this glittering thing. She heard Hoggle call her from behind, but she wasn't listening.

"Sarah! What are you doing? Sarah!"

"My lady?"

"Sawah?"

"Can't you see it?" She called back, irritated. "It's beautiful!"

"Sarah, come back here!"

She shut them out. All that mattered right now was finding out what this thing was. The closer she got, the brighter it was. She was almost blinded, but it didn't matter. She threw out her hands to block the light.

_I shouldn't be doing this,_ she thought. _What happened to my self discipline?_ But she didn't stop.

Suddenly, she hit a wall of honey, or at least that's what it felt like. Thick sticky honey entrapped her outstretched hands and began to pull her in. She screamed, but it was no use. She was in up to her elbows, her shoulders, her chest. It was moving up her neck, her chin, her lips, her ears. She wanted to scream again but didn't dare open her mouth. Her whole body was in the honey. She couldn't breath, she couldn't see. She could feel the ground under her feet, but her legs felt like they were moving through molasses. She was drowning in the thick sticky air. She tried to move her arms, to swim through the thickness, but she couldn't do it. It was pressing in all around her. She needed to breathe!

Something grabbed her arm and began to pull. She screamed inside her mouth, but gripped onto whatever was pulling her, hoping it would pull her out. It felt like a hand.

_Hoggle!_ She thought._ Hoggle is pulling me out!_

Suddenly, her hand was free! Then her arm, then her shoulder, then her chest. Her head moved through the last of the honeyed air, and she took great gasping breaths, feeling more grateful than she ever had in her life. She opened her eyes to thank Hoggle for saving her.

But it wasn't Hoggle.

It was Jareth.


	5. You can't fool me

Sarah sputtered in surprise.

"You!"

Jareth bowed gracefully, mocking her with the grin on his face.

"Me," he replied.

Sarah turned and looked back at the space she'd just traversed. The air behind her was glowing and rippling like a wall of gooey water. It was semi-transparent, and she could see her friends searching for her on the other side, but they couldn't seem to see her.

"What is this?" she asked Jareth, pointing to the goo.

"It's a dimensional barrier," he replied, leaning carelessly against the cavern wall. "The Labyrinth exists on many levels, you see. Different elemental planes of existence. Few humans have the ability to cross one of those without doing irreparable damage to their sanity," he smiled at her dangerously.

Sarah glared at him feebly. Her body felt like it was made of rubber. Her legs couldn't support her. She sat down on the ground. Hard.

"What kind of damage does it do to them physically?" she asked weakly, trying to sit up straight.

"Nothing really," Jareth said casually, crouching beside her. "You'll be alright in a few minutes."

"My friends," Sarah began. Jareth silenced her by taking her hand. She pulled it from his grasp. "Don't touch me," she hissed. Jareth looked amused.

"You didn't protest the last time," his arrogant grin was more than she could tolerate. Her face felt like it was on fire.

"Last time was a mistake," she growled. "It's not going to happen again."

Jareth laughed. The sound made the hairs on her arms stand at attention.

"A mistake, my dear Sarah? You don't make mistakes. Not with me."

The words should have sounded threatening, but somehow they were kind and genuinely amused. Sarah looked into his face, suprised.

"What do you mean?"

He shook his head and clucked his tongue at her.

"Such innocence," he raised a mocking eyebrow, his gaze focused intently on her. Sarah felt heat in her face again.

"Stop it," she said, pulling away from his gaze. "We both know what's going on here, and I've had enough!"

She stood suddenly on wobbly legs, intending to stalk back through the barrier. She took three steps before she collapsed to the ground again.

Only this time Jareth caught her.

His arms were strong around her waist. She didn't have time to react before he bent down, hooked an arm up under her knees, and picked her up completely.

"Put me down," she whispered, horrified.

He didn't answer. Instead, he carried her further into the cavern. She struggled, but couldn't escape in her weakened state. Trendrils of fear began to creep into her heart. This situation was out of her control. Everything was out of her control. Gooseflesh raised all over her body.

"Where are we going?" she asked quietly, resigning herself to her current predicament.

"A place where we can talk," he replied, looking down at her upturned face. Sarah stiffened in her arms, remembering suddenly the feel of his lips on hers, the silk of his hair. Heat flooded through her and she suddenly wanted nothing more than to be on the ground and away from this damnable man.

He was carrying her as though she weighed nothing at all.

There was sunlight up ahead, and Sarah could hear running water. Jareth strode around the last bend in the tunnel, and she was awed by the sight before her.

They were inside a large cavern big enough to be a ball room. Over head it looked as though the ceiling had caved in part-way, allowing bright, pure sunlight to pour in. In front of them was a small pool into which gushed the contents of a waterfall that was pouring from the cavern wall and winding sinuously down a large pile of rocks place under the gush of water. I reminded Sarah of a Zen garden. Vegetation and flowers were abundant and fragrant around the pool. It was beautiful.

Jareth put her down lightly.

"Do you like it?" he whispered in her ear from behind. Sarah stepped away, but nodded affirmatively as she did so. Jareth stepped past her and strode deeper into the cavern.

"My sanctuary," he announced raising his arms and gesturing around him. "I come here to be alone with my thoughts."

"Well," said Sarah, a little too brightly. "Don't let me disturb you."

She turned around to leave, knowing she wouldn't get far.

She didn't.

"Now now, my dear Sarah," chided Jareth. "Don't be rude. Turn around like a good girl and sit with me. We'll have a pleasant chat."

An invisible force turned her unwilling body and pushed her in the general direction of the Goblin King. She approached him warily, like a mouse stuck with a cobra.

"Come, come, my dear," Jareth's tone was wry and reassuring. "I won't bite."

_It's not the biting that frightens me,_ she thought, sitting down as far away from her captor as she thought she could get away with. Jareth sighed and gave her an impatient look. He reached out with his hand and then pulled it to his body. The rock on which Sarah sat moved towards the Goblin King until her knees were almost touching his.

"That's better," He said, smiling in that arrogant manner he so favored. "Something to eat?"

"No thank-you," Sarah replied, determined to be as difficult as possible. Truthfully, she was starving.

A plate of food appeared in her lap anyway. Sarah was surprised to see an enormous chicken salad sandwich sliced diagonally with the crusts cut off: Her favorite just the way she liked it. Next to the sandwich was a cluster of fat grapes shining like orbs in the sunlight: Her favorite fruit. _How did he know?_

Jareth was pouring himself a glass of wine from a very old looking bottle.

"How did you..." Sarah began, gesturing to her plate. A glass of iced tea appeared in her hand, surprising her. She set it down safely beside her feet.

"How did I know?" Jareth finished, taking a sip of his wine. "I know a lot of things, Sarah."

"About me?"

"About many things, yourself included."

Sarah couldn't resist the delicious looking sandwich any longer. Taking a big bite, she chewed, swallowed, and smiled.

"I take it the meal is to your satisfaction?" Jareth asked, watching her.

"Yes," Sarah said. "Thank-you."

The next few minutes were filled with silence as Sarah ate and studied Jareth and her surroundings out of the corner of her eye. Jareth slowly drank his wine and gazed at the waterfall, seemingly lost in thought.

Sarah finished her meal feeling much better than when she'd started. Sipping the last of her iced tea, she looked for a napkin to wipe her mouth. One suddenly appeared in her hand. Surprising herself, Sarah laughed.

Jareth smiled at her mirth, a genuine smile.

"Did you do that?" Sarah asked, pointing to the napkin.

"No," said Jareth, shaking his blonde head. "You did.

"I did?" Sarah sobered. "How?"

"You wished it," answered Jareth taking another slow sip of wine and watching her response. Sarah looked unnerved. "More precisely, you wished it, and my Labyrinth granted your wish."

"Since when does your Labyrinth listen to me?"

"Since you defeated it and proved you were a Master."

"A Master?"

"Someone who knows and understands the ways of the Labyrinth."

Sarah frowned.

"But I know hardly anything and understand even less about this place."

"You know more than you think, Sarah."

Sarah leaned back on her rock to think about this. _Maybe that's why that rock did what I asked it to._

"How does Ludo do what he does?"

"Your hairy friend is a creature of the Labyrinth. All its inhabitants have some knowledge or understanding of its power."

"What about the goblins?"

"The goblins are my subjects. They do not live in the Labyrinth, nor do they understand it."

"Do you rule the labyrinth?"

Jareth paused at this, not quite sure how to answer.

"Yes," he said. "But not quite in the way you might think. The inhabitants obey my commands, but they are not like the goblins, they are not my 'subjects', so to speak. I mostly leave them to their own devices and let the Labyrinth decide what's best for them. The Labyrinth is my source of magical strength, giving me the power I need to rule my kingdom. It serves me, but I also serve it, making sure it stays alive and well..."

"A symbiotic relationship," said Sarah, fascinated.

"Yes," Jareth smiled at her. "Exactly."

"So your crystals..."

"Are my own, but enhanced by the Labyrinth's power."

"What if the Labyrinth were destroyed?"

Jareth blanched at this thought.

"Then I would no longer be King. The goblins would not fear me. I would be weak."

"And you steal children because?"

Jareth gave her a look that made her cringe internally.

"I do not _steal_ children. They are wished away to me."

Sarah decided to let the subject drop. Jareth was being nice at the moment. She didn't want to spoil it.

"What else can I wish for?"

Jareth laughed at her.

"Whatever you like," he said indulgently.

Sarah smiled, the possibility was exciting. What did she want?

_I want to go home._

Her smile faded like sunlight on an overcast day. Tears filled her eyes. Suddenly things were no longer fun and she remembered that her freedom was on the line.

In front of her, Jareth's face darkened into a scowl. He said nothing.

"Jareth, why am I here?" Sarah asked softly. "Why did you send me that book?"

Jareth stood and suddenly began to pace back and forth. Things were not going the way he'd planned.

"Was it for revenge? Did I hurt your pride so badly before? Is humiliating me the only way to make things better? I had to save Toby. I didn't have a choice!"

There was no answer.

"And now, this new game, this nice indulgent Jareth who gives me sandwiches and answers my questions, what are you trying to accomplish?"

Again, no answer. Sarah was getting angry. He voice grew stronger.

"You never had to see me again, but you tricked me back here. Is it an apology that you want? Fine! I'm sorry Jareth. I'm sorry I beat you at your own game. I'm sorry you're too stubborn to let it go. I'm sorry that the only way you seem to know how to make yourself feel good is by picking on people who are smaller than you, or afraid of you, or at a disadvantage to your royalty."

Still no answer. Jareth had his back to her, his fist were clenched. Sarah knew she should shut up before she got hurt, but she was on a roll, feeling powerful and relieved to get this off her chest.

"You should let me go now before we do anymore harm to each other! I will not let you win this game Jareth! I will beat you again and again until you get it into your head that you can't dominate me! You can't bully me around like you do everyone else! And I'll be dammed if I ever let you take advantage of me!"

He was shaking.

"So I'll ask you again, _your Highness_, what do you want from me? Why am I here?!"

Silence.

"Why am I here?!"

No answer.

"JARETH! Why am I HERE?!"

"BECAUSE I LOVE YOU!" Jareth roared, whirling to face her at last. His face was white. His eyes were wild. His chest was heaving. He looked ready to kill her.

Sarah's legs gave out on her for the second time that day, this time in shock.

"Y-You don't mean that," she stammered. Her heart felt like it was going to explode from her chest.

He turned away from her.

"Jareth," she tried again. "You don't mean that."

"But I do," he said quietly.

Sarah was disoriented. She didn't know what to think or feel. She didn't know what to _do_.

"I don't believe you," Sarah said, shaking her head.

"Is it so hard to believe?" Jareth asked softly, still facing away from her.

"Yes!" she cried. "Jareth, you _hate_ me! I'm your nemesis! I beat you! Humiliated you!" She wasn't sure why she was saying this, only that if Jareth agreed to these words, everything would be okay, _normal._

"You earned my respect. You were young, but willful and strong," he whispered. Sarah started to shake. "Do you remember our dance?" he asked.

"Yes," she said, her tone making it clear that the memory was not her favorite.

"Do you know why I created that dream?" Sarah cheeks flushed red.

"To humiliate me. To distract me from the fact that time was slipping away. To play with my innocence and naivety. To make me give in to my schoolgirl's crush on the idea of a smitten Goblin King and fascination with all things magical...."

"No," said Jareth. "I created it so you would fall in love with me."

"So you could take advantage of me and toss me aside!"

"No!" he said forcefully, turning to face her at last. "So I could love you back."

"Stop saying that!"

The look on his face was too much to take in. Sarah had never seen Jareth look so...anguished. He seemed so sincere, so desperate for her to believe. This side of Jareth was more dangerous than anything she'd seen thus far. Already she was beginning to wonder what it would be like to kiss him and know that he would kiss her back because he loved her. The prospect was too horrible and wonderful to imagine. She trembled inside to think what it would mean if he were telling the truth. To be loved by him, worshiped by him, it made her head spin to ponder how quickly she could lose herself in him, in this place.

"I underestimated you at first because of your youth. I thought you were a spoiled child, a bit more difficult to pacify than most at the prospect of losing your brother to me. I offered you your dreams. You refused. I was impressed."

"Jareth..."

"You took on the Labyrinth's challenge. I thought you'd give up and surrender Toby, but you didn't."

"Jareth please..."

He was moving closer to her. She was frozen in place.

"When I saw you in the oubliette, I was concerned. You should not have made it that far. When I saw you had befriended the dwarf, I grew nervous."

"Oh, don't!"

Tears poured silently down her cheeks.

"I did my best to intimidate you. I took your time, I used your new friend against you. I set you back, I delayed you. I played the villain to the best of my ability, and though you were afraid, you continued to press on. "

"I had no choice!"

He was standing in front of her. Close enough to touch. His voice grew soft.

"I was awed by you. Amazed by your courage, your beauty. You challenged me, defied me, intrigued me. I wanted to keep you, to cherish you, but the circumstances were unfavorable. I knew you would never agree to stay with me."

"Jareth I can't..."

"I thought, perhaps, if I showed you a different side of me, the side that wasn't the villain you expected me to be, perhaps you'd understand. I sent you that peach so you could see my dream. I thought I could make you understand. You were so young, but when we danced, I saw something in your eyes. The barest glimmer of comprehension, but then it was gone. You were gone. "

"You were going to take Toby!"

"I would not have kept him. For you Sarah, I would have sent him back. Anything to make to like me the least little bit. But I also knew that as long as I had him, I had you. So I kept him from you. Anything to keep you from leaving forever."

"Oh Jareth, no..."

"I was foolish and arrogant. When we met in the Escher room, I knew I had lost. I knew you would take Toby and go. I knew I had met my equal, but I still made one last plea for you to stay...but you did not accept."

He was touching her face now, his cool leather glove on her cheek. She was trembling, but did not push him away.

"It served me right, you know. I had tricked you, bullied you, cheated you, tried to be the villain you wanted me to be and succeeded, but it was a hollow victory, Sarah. I lost the game. I lost you. I thought it was the end of me."

He was caressing her all over, her arms, her shoulders, her back, her face, her hair. She stood shaking and not meeting his eyes. She wanted so much to bury her face in his chest, wrap her arms around him, and just be _held_... But she couldn't. She had to resist...

"Then I found your book, your first book, and I thought that perhaps you thought about your time here as much as I did."

His hand cupped her chin and brought it up so she would meet his eyes. She saw something blazing there that she couldn't begin to understand.

"Do you?" he asked, keeping one hand under her chin and sliding the other around her waist.

"No," she lied.

"Really?" Jareth asked, looking amused and assured. "You never wondered why a tainted peach would give you visions of dancing with a smitten Goblin King?"

"No."

He pulled her closer, their noses almost touching.

"You never wondered to yourself what it meant when I told you I'd be there for you as the world fell down around us?"

She sobbed and shook her head, not able to trust her voice.

"_Sarah_," he whispered. "You can't fool me."

And then he kissed her.


	6. Attraction, nothing more

_Oh,_ Sarah thought. _Oh wow..._

It was unlike any kiss she'd ever received. It was too warm. Too _chaste_. He was kissing her tenderly, passionately even, but not lustfully. For the moment he seemed to be content with the fact that she wasn't pushing him away.

Sarah was not quite kissing him back, though it was a struggle. Instead, she enjoyed the simple pressure of his lips on hers and began to think quickly.

_He says he loves me. LOVES me. What can I say to that? What can I do to reassure myself of his sincerity? IS there anything I can do to assure me of his sincerity?_

The answer came to her like stone dropped into her heart.

_No. _

_There is nothing he could do that I wouldn't suspect. No action un-scrutinized or subject to doubt. He's had years of practice at this. I don't even KNOW him...All I have to work with right now that I'm certain of, is a mutual attraction. That's not enough. I don't TRUST him. How can you love someone you don't trust? You CAN'T. And I can't imagine he trusts me. No, no, this is wrong....._

Sarah pulled away carefully.

"No," she whispered. "I can't."

"Can't what?" Jareth whispered back, still holding her close.

"I can't trust you," she said, looking into his eyes.

His face darkened.

"Can't trust me, or _won't_ trust me?" he asked, stepping back. Sarah suddenly regretted the loss of the warmth of his arms. The cavern suddenly seemed very cold.

"It doesn't matter. The answer is the same either way." She was shaking.

He looked like a little boy who'd been struck. Sarah felt sick inside. A nasty voice inside her head sneered,_ He wouldn't look like that if he hated you. You've done it now, Sarah._

"Why can't you trust me Sarah? Why can't you understand?" he trailed off, his questions purely rhetorical. Sarah suddenly felt afraid: She was standing in the calm before the storm.

"Jareth," She murmured. "I'm sorry..."

He waved her useless apology away.

"You must learn to trust me, learn to love me. Tell me what I can do to change you mind." His tone was perfectly calm, but Sarah sensed an underlying panic. She began to feel panic herself. She took a step back.

"Please don't do this Jareth. You can't _make_ me trust you..."

"I'll earn it then," his eyes were blazing. "Just tell me how."

"I don't know how!" Sarah gasped. "I don't know if you _can_ earn my trust!" He was scaring her. He looked wild and able to do anything.

"I refuse to believe that!" he hissed. "You're afraid, Sarah. You're still the same girl you were ten years ago, unwilling to see me as anything more than a villain. Someone to conquer, someone to hate!"

"No!" she snapped.

"Yes!" he growled. "You're a coward, Sarah Williams! You go through life controlling everything you can, and cutting out the pieces you can't. You're afraid to love me because you can't control love. You can't control the way you feel about someone, no matter how much you want to!"

"You're wrong!" she screamed.

"Am I?" Jareth sneered coldly. "How many people have you truly loved in your life, Sarah? How many people sought your approval only to be turned away?"

"That's not fair!" she gasped, hating the words as soon as they'd left her mouth. "How dare you judge me like this?!" She felt self-righteous, indignant......and horrified because he was right.

"It's not judgment Sarah, it's fact. You're cruel. Cruel to your world, cruel to me, and I know it's true because I can be cruel too......Birds of a feather, Sarah."

"Oh!" she cried, horrified with this new truth. Angrily, she turned and stalked to the entrance of the tunnel, only to be blocked by Jareth. He reached for her but she pulled away too quickly and retreated to the lagoon, the waterfall pouring behind her. Only too late, she realized she was cornered. The only was out was past the Goblin King, who was certainly not going to oblige. She turned and faced Jareth, who seemed to have calmed slightly.

"Sarah, give it time and a chance. You'll see I'm not lying or trying to deceive; I love you Sarah Williams, and I'll prove it to you."

"You can't."

"I will."

She was suddenly in his arms again, her lips against his, and this time she couldn't resist. Jareth held her so tightly she could not pull away, kissed her so thoroughly she couldn't tell where her mouth ended and his began. _I can't trust him!_ She told herself frantically._ I can't trust him!_ But it didn't seem to help. Sarah was mad for the touch of the Goblin King.

She kissed him hard, wrapping her arms around his neck, pressing every inch of her body into him. She pushed him against a tall rock and ravished him as completely as she knew how. His hands roamed over her body, touching everything, but unbuttoning and unzipping nothing. Hers did the same. His hands were in her hair, her hands were in his. There was a sudden shift and Sarah found that she was now the one back-to the rock.

_I'm between a rock and a hard place..._she suddenly thought to herself, shaking with mirth.

And it was as though a light flashed on inside her mind.

_WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING!?_

Furious with herself, Sarah tried to pull away, but Jareth would not let her move.

"Jareth!" she cried, pulling her mouth away from his. "Get off!"

"No," he replied quite rationally, kissing her neck and pushing her harder into the rock.

"I mean it!" she roared, thrashing.

"Admit it," he hissed passionately, pinning her stubborn arms to the rock above her head. When he spoke, his nose was millimeters from hers. "You like this."

"Maybe," she snarled. "But not enough to change my mind."

She pulled her arms down and pushed him away roughly, but he pulled her back against him.

"Don't fight me, Sarah!" he grunted in frustration.

"I have to ! I can't....I'm not ready...." Where those words had come from, she didn't know, and in the next few minutes she didn't care, because the second time she shoved Jareth away from her, he fell in the lagoon.

_Run! _Her mind screamed at her._ He's going to kill you for that, love or not._

So she did.

Instantly she was hit from behind by a wave of heat.

"SARAH!" bellowed Jareth, enraged.

_Run!_

"SARAH!"

She made it to the tunnel entrance. She could feel him coming behind her. She ran faster.

"YOU'LL REGRET THIS!"

The dimensional barrier was before her. She did not hesitate...

"I CAN BE CRUEL, SARAH!"

Ignoring the anguish she heard in his voice, Sarah leapt into the gooey air.

"SARAH!"

She could heard no more. The air was so thick, so dense, she couldn't see or breathe. She could only hope she had enough momentum to make it through...

...She hit the dirt hard.

"Sarah!" cried Hoggle, in a tone quite different than the one she'd just heard.

"Not now!" she silenced him. "I've really done it this time. RUN!"

She jumped to her feet and sprinted down the tunnel slightly ahead of the rock, which rolled quickly along beside her.

Sir Didymus was right behind, followed by Ludo's hulking mass.

Hoggle's short legs did not prevent him from keeping up. Glancing behind, Sarah was sure she'd never seen her friend move so quickly...

And then the water came.


	7. Water

It began as a small trickle, like a tiny stream beneath her feet.

"Run!" she yelled.

There was something roaring behind them. The ground beneath her feet was vibrating.

"Sarah! What did you do?" Hoggle yelled back.

"I pushed him into the lake!"

It occurred to her that what she'd said didn't make sense to anyone but her, but it didn't matter. Clarification could wait.

The water was up to her shins, the current so strong it threatened to drag her feet from beneath her. It was too hard to keep running in her clogs. She pulled them off and held them in one hand as she splashed through in her socks.

It felt _good _to run, to get away from that burning, mismatched gaze. She felt relieved, focused. They had to get out of this tunnel before Jareth flooded it. That was all she had to think about, that was all she had to do.

She couldn't see the rock anymore; it was beneath the rushing water that was now up to her knees.

It was cold.

She looked behind her to see if her friends were okay. Hoggle was beginning to struggle. The water was up to his waist. Ambrosias was swimming, with Sir Didymus on his back looking grave. Ludo was plodding along as best as he could, but he seemed afraid as the water rushed around his legs. Unable to think of anything that would help them or any words of encouragement, Sarah faced forward and continued moving. She felt sick inside. This was all her fault.

Up ahead, the tunnel broke into two parts. Sarah was just wondering which one she should choose, when the left tunnel exploded with force of a fire hose, water flying straight for her.

"Look out!" she screamed behind her, jumping back so she wouldn't get hit. The water landed just in front of her and continued to pour out of the tunnel.

It was up to her waist.

Ambrosias was whining, and the sound grated on Sarah's ears. She was scared. Something floated past her; it was Hoggle. Sarah grabbed him, and he sputtered, holding on to her. The water was over his head.

With no where else to go, the water was flowing into the tunnel to Sarah's right. The current was too strong. Sarah's feet flew out from under her.

"Hold on!" she screamed as she and Hoggle were sucked into the tunnel.

It was like a water slide gone horribly wrong. At the mercy of the current, in water that was up to her chest, Sarah careened wildly side to side, hitting the tunnel walls with force enough to break bones. She tried to grab hold of something – anything – to stop the wild ride, but there was nothing to grasp, and she was moving too fast.

As the current twirled her like a rag doll, Sarah caught a brief glimpse of Ludo, Sir Didymus on his shoulder, and Ambrosias floating along behind her. She could hear them calling her name, but there was nothing she could do to help them.

Hoggle was floating more or less along with her. Occasionally they were able to grab each other's hands, but the rushing water was quick to break them apart.

Suddenly, things took a terrifying shift downhill. Sarah screamed as she felt the earth drop from beneath her, only to be caught up once more in the current as it slid even more rapidly downward. She whimpered helplessly, knowing that if she hit the tunnel walls at this speed, she would not escape injury.

Then she was in the air.

It was like the time she went sledding at age five, and the older kids had dared her to take her sled over a jump they'd made by mounding a pile of snow on the hillside. Young and naive, Sarah had complied. She would never forget the wind in her face, the rushing sound her sled made against the snow as she gained speed, or the sudden silence as she was airborne and realized with a sinking stomach, that the impact she was about to make with the hard-packed snow on the ground beneath her was going to hurt...

This time, the impact didn't hurt...much. Sarah was unwillingly plunged into icy water way over her head. Her feet didn't touch the bottom when she came up for air. Sputtering and treading water, she turned just in time to see Hoggle and the rest of her friends come shooting out of the tunnel above and land in the water below. Seconds later they surfaced, and she swam over to them.

"Are you alright?" she cried, looking at each one.

"Ludo, wet."

No one else cared to comment. Sir Didymus's eyes were huge.

Sarah looked around to see if there were anyway to get out of the water. They were in a quarry, the kind teenagers like to swim in even though the signs posted say 'Keep Out.' The walls were high enough to make climbing out a challenge, but Sarah could see plenty of hand and footholds.

She had just enough time to register all this when the water around her began to move.

It was as though someone had pulled the plug. The water was beginning to swirl, dragging them all along the side of the quarry and sucking them inevitably towards the center.

"Dammit!" Sarah yelled. She was angry. "Grab something! Try to climb out!" She dug her fingers into the rock she was scraping past and held on.

Hoggle was quick to wrap his fingers around an outcropping of rock. Ludo followed his example, grabbing the rock face as the water pushed him past. Sarah was grateful to see her largest friend grab Sir Didymus and Ambrosias as they moved past him. Didymus was able to quickly scuttle out of the water and up to safety. Ambrosias didn't have it quite so easy.

Ludo was trying to lift him physically out of the water and climb the quarry sides with the shaggy dog under his arm. But Ambrosias was heavy, and Ludo was not quite coordinated enough to handle both the dog and the climb.

_Oh please_, Sarah thought. _Just let him get Ambrosias out of the water!_

Sarah gasped as a section of rock suddenly bulged out next to Ludo. It made a small platform just large enough for Ludo to set Ambrosias on, which he did. Sarah shook her head in disbelief. She'd forgotten about her new-found skill at negotiating with the Labyrinth.

The current was getting really strong, swirling around the sides of the quarry, trying to pull them away from the rock. Sarah looked to the center of the quarry and was horrified by the gaping hole she saw there. The water was sliding into it, making powerful splashing and gurgling sounds. Sarah was suddenly filled with a paralyzing fear at the sight of the terrible orifice. Her stomach lurched. She was afraid she would throw up.

The current was growing stronger. Sarah knew she should scale the rock wall and get out of the water and away from its pull, but suddenly she didn't have the strength. She was physically exhausted. Her arms and legs were limp, burned out from adrenaline.

The best she could do was hold on and pray. Hold on and listen to those horrible sucking and splashing sounds...

Suddenly there was a thin wail, and Sarah's worst fear became a reality.

Hoggle had lost his grip on the rock.

"Hoggle!" she screamed. "Hoggle!"

She watched in terror as Hoggle opened his mouth to say something and inhaled a lungful of water instead. He choked and sputtered, his tiny arms and legs flailing against the overpowering current. He swept by Sarah. She stretched out to grab him and missed. He was moving too fast. He was too little, too weak, and he was heading straight towards the great gaping maw in the center of the quarry.

Sarah had only a split second to decide.

She let go of the rock.

Swimming as hard as she could, Sarah used the current to her advantage, closing the distance between her and Hoggle. He was struggling, his eyes wide and face white with terror.

_Oh God,_ thought Sarah._ I'm watching my friend drown..._

She grabbed his arm and started to swim, pulling Hoggle along behind her as best as she could. She swam at an angle to the current, using her last dregs of strength to make it back to the rock face. Distantly, she could hear Ludo bellowing. Out of the corners of her eyes she could see rocks and boulders flying in all directions. These events meant nothing to her exhausted brain. A wave of water hit her in the mouth and nose, making her choke and cough, but she did not let go of Hoggle. She could feel him kicking against the current.

Suddenly, she felt hard, rough rock beneath her fingertips. She grabbed blindly, her eyes watering and nose streaming. Water was in her lungs. She needed a full breath. Hoggle was next to her. Hoggle was holding her to the rock. Hoggle was screaming her name. He sounded very far away. She felt very limp, very tired. She wanted to sleep. The water was pleasantly cool...

Something hard hit her head...a rock. The water was gone. She was lying on solid wet rock. Her head hurt. People were calling her. She couldn't move. Someone was holding her so gently. It felt nice. Sarah wanted to sleep. He was calling her name.

"I'm sorry," he said. "Sarah, I'm sorry."

She snuggled next to him for warmth and knew no more.


	8. Pain

Dying didn't hurt, but it was sad.

It stung to think of what Sarah was leaving behind. Her friends, her family. What would they say? What would they do when they found out she'd disappeared without a trace? She thought of her books and her cat...What would happen to them?

What would happen to Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus? What would Jareth do to them? They'd helped her this far...would Jareth let them go?

Her thoughts were scattered and erratic.

Jareth said he loved her. Would he be sad that she was gone? Would he take it out on her friends?

Pain.

Jareth wasn't human. He belonged to a race of creatures that were entirely something else. He wasn't capable of feeling human emotions like love or pity...right?

Pain.

Strange how a dead person could suddenly feel physical pain.

It was far away at first, and Sarah could ignore it. The place she was in now was dark and silent. She didn't want the pain. She wanted to think before she had to do anything.

But what did she have to do?

_I have to see Jareth_.

The thought came to her suddenly and she pushed it away. She couldn't see Jareth. She couldn't see anyone. She was dead.

The pain was burning, like fire. Her whole body was burning.....she had a body? Dead people didn't have bodies...did they?

_I can't be dead_, she thought. _Too many loose ends! Too many unanswered questions! I need to open my eyes!_

But she couldn't. Her eyelids were too heavy. It hurt too much. She wanted to go back to the dark place where the pain would leave her alone.

Someone was calling her name.

Sarah stopped thinking for a moment and just listened to the voice. It sounded sad. It sounded desperate. Someone really wanted her to fight, to wake up.

_But it hurts!_ She wanted to yell at them. _It hurts!_

The voice was crying now. She could hear its tears. Something inside her began to ache.

_I have to try. That person needs me,_ she thought. _No one sounds like that unless they mean it._

With effort that was horrible to channel, Sarah tried to open her eyes. Air suddenly filled her lungs. The pain was excruciating. It was like trying to breathe on a freezing day.

But it worked.

She could feel her body. She had arms, and legs, and fingers that wiggled.

_I did it,_ she thought. _I did it for you..._

She turned her head slowly to observe her mourner.

_...Jareth?_

_--------------------------------_

**_I'm sorry I'm taking so long....Hang in there faithful readers!_**

**_Coffee_**


	9. Do you kick puppies?

This chapter is mostly a rewritten version of a scene from L.j. Smith's The Forbidden Game. She writes it much better than I do.

--

It was Jareth.

Jareth was the one crying her name.

Somehow the fact managed to make sense and surprise her at the same time, but in a vague distant way that wasn't really important at the moment.

Sarah realized slowly that she was in a large room, lying on a bed that was very soft and comfortable. The pain was gone now, but in it's place was a numbing exhaustion that made her feel strangely clearheaded and emotionally detached.

It didn't even _look_ like Jareth...Sarah supposed it was because she'd never seen Jareth look _afraid_. Right now, his mismatched eyes were wide with fear and some emotion that Sarah in her numbed and exhausted state couldn't begin to understand. It was too complex. For the moment, it was simply enough to lightly squeeze his cold hand, which was gripping one of hers so hard, she thought absently that it might break.

There was a moment of shock as his eyes met hers. Jareth's face had always been perfectly suited for arrogance, but now there wasn't a trace. The smirk that always irritated her was gone from his lips. The sarcastic arch of the eyebrow was missing too.

Somewhere in the room there was a fire. Its flickering light was casting shadows on Jareth. Sarah noted dimly the way it made the Jareth's skin seem too tight. Also, there were shadows under his eyes that hadn't been there before...at least not that she'd noticed.

The strangest thing, though, was that Jareth actually seemed to be trembling. Sarah could feel the reverberations in the hand she was grasping. His breathing was shallow and erractic. She could tell by the way his chest was rising and falling in the firelight.

It was all very confusing.

"I thought you were dead," he whispered.

"So did I," she replied blankly, her breath hitching in her throat.

"Here," he said, standing and leaning over her with a goblet. "Drink this. It will help." He was holding her head, supporting it as she drank from the cup. The liquid was warm and thick, like the richest hot chocolate on the coldest day. It brought some feeling back into her limbs. Sarah felt herself relaxing as she finished her drink and Jareth laid her back down on the pillow.

He was being so gentle, so careful. A feeling of well-being crept over her as he pulled the blankets back up to her neck and perched on the edge of her bed like a cautious bird.

It occurred to Sarah that she probably shouldn't be accepting his help, it always seemed to backfire on her, but he looked so...haunted. And she was really in no position to resist.

"I thought I'd lost you," he murmured with a ghost of his old smile.

"Then you didn't send the water?" she asked quietly.

He just looked at her.

She should probably say something. She'd never have a better chance to wound him than she did right now. Something for how he'd hurt her in the past, abused her and her friends, done everything imaginable to hunt her down and break her...

But now, in this room, in this comfy bed with the warm fire...it all seemed so far away. Like part of a bad dream from long ago. It didn't seem to matter anymore.

Besides, in her weakened state, she really couldn't put up a fight. If anything, this was Jareth's oppurtunity. Here was his prey, weak and at his mercy. If he wanted to hurt her, if he _wanted_ her, she wouldn't have the strength to resist.

Instead, he was staring at her, pupils dilated with emotion.

"I went too far," he whispered.

"You would have cared if I died?"

His eyes searched hers and he made a sound that was half a snort and half a sob.

"You really don't understand, do you?"

Sarah said nothing, but attempted to pull herself up into a sitting position. Jareth was at her side immediately, helping her, adjusting pillows, until he was sure she was settled. When he sat down again, he was facing away.

"I've told you how I feel about you," he said evenly.

Sarah didn't know how to respond to this. It was true. He had said he loved her, but somehow she couldn't bring herself to believe it. Or maybe she didn't _want_ to believe it.

Looking at Jareth now, the way he was sitting, like a child waiting for a blow, desperate and resigned, Sarah found that it was entirely too easy to believe. Jareth _loved_ her.

"But..if you...I mean, why did you..." Sarah wished she were more awake, more alert. It was hard to be having this serious conversation without her wits about her. Everntually, she had to be blunt.

"The water...the spider...why?"

Jareth seemed to deflate ever further, if that were possible. His shoulders drooped and Sarah's heart ached for him.

"I was angry. I lost control. I'm sorry." He said it so bleakly, so dispassionately. Sarah suddenly wanted to comfort him, to hold him and make him light up the way he did whenever she willingly touched him, or let herself be touched.

This side of Jareth was dangerous. He made her feel things and want to do things that she really shouldn't do...

"I have never met anyone who affects me like you, Sarah. I've ruled this kingdom for centuries and never had anyone challenge me the way you did, beat me the way you did. You were all I could see, all I could think about. I wanted you. I wanted to you to be mine, to be with me. I watched you move through the Labyrinth, watched you make my world your own, and it made me feel...it made me _feel_. I was alone."

Something fit into Sarah's brain – a piece the Jareth puzzle that she hadn't had before.

"What's it like to be the Goblin King?" she asked, bringing her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them.

"I wouldn't recommend it," he said bitterly. "I am without equals here. I am alone. I steal children and watch as their loved ones run through my Labyrinth like human rats in a maze. I find pleasure in cruelty because it exists no where else in this world. And I watch it all inside one of these..."

He conjured a crystal with a wave of his hand and dropped it on the bed.

"Do you kick puppies as well?" Sarah asked, a small smile touching her lips.

"Do not tease me," he growled, sounding a bit more like the Jareth she was accustomed to.

They were silent for a few moments. Sarah thought about what Jareth had just said. She reached out and picked up his crystal, rolling it around in her hand. Eventually Jareth sighed and turned to face her.

"You should rest. I'll send you home when you're ready."

Something like panic welled up inside Sarah.

"Jareth...I..."

He motioned for her to be silent and touched her face lightly with a leather-encased finger.

"Sleep," he said.

And then he was gone.

Sarah lay awake in the dark room with the fire for a long time, thinking about all that had happened in the last few hours... Pondering, comparing and analyzing. Eventually, she lay down and fell asleep.

Sarah had a plan.


	10. Damn you, Jareth!

When she woke up, Sarah realized that "Plan" was really not a good word for what she had in mind. She didn't really have a plan...it was more of a conclusion, a realization and acceptance that Jareth loved her...the end.

Only it really wasn't the end, because Sarah wasn't so sure she reciprocated...at least not to the same degree. It was ironic how throughout her childhood she'd daydreamed about people like the Goblin King declaring his undying love for her, because in those daydreams she'd always been smitten with the declaree from the start. It had never occurred to her just what she would do if she didn't feel quite the same way. And of course, she'd never really expected those daydreams to become reality.

_It figures_, Sarah smirked to herself, getting out of the warm bed._ Unconditional love gets dropped in my lap and I have no idea what to do with it. Other women would probably kill for what I've got, but do I have a clue? Nope..._

However, that wasn't entirely honest either. She did have a clue about a few things. First, she knew she was attracted to Jareth, and that was a start at least, but she really didn't _know_ him well enough to_ love_ him. Second, she knew that there was no way she could figure all this out and plan the next step on her own. She needed to sit down and talk to the other person who was just as involved in this as she was.

With that thought in mind, Sarah started to look around for a way to get clean and get dressed. There was a large wooden wardrobe in one corner of the room, but upon examination, Sarah found nothing in it. Her clothes from the day before were mysteriously gone as well.

Her frustration ebbed a bit when she found a bathroom behind a door next to the wardrobe. Sarah decided she should at least be clean, even if it meant she had nothing else to put on afterwards but her nightgown again.

The bath was pleasant, but Sarah found herself wishing for some of her own toiletries from home. _My own shampoo would be nice..._she thought, eyeing the brown lard soap she'd been using. It smelled good, but it wasn't for her hair...and then her shampoo bottle was in her hand. _Oh,_ thought Sarah both surprised and relieved. _I forgot I could do that_. The bath was much better after that.

Getting out of the tub, Sarah wished for a towel and was rewarded with a huge fluffy one. Drying off and wrapping herself up in it, Sarah turned her thoughts to clothes. She imagined herself what she believed to be a proper Labyrinthian outfit with tights, boots, and all the trimmings and wished for it. She was a little afraid when it didn't come.

_What am I going to do? Why can't I wish for clothes?_

Sarah thought about her problem for a minute, running her own brush through her hair. Then it occurred to her; everything she'd wished for to this point had existed somewhere. Her toiletries were her own from home, and she was sure the napkin she'd wished for in the cavern with Jareth was from somewhere...

Sarah thought for a moment and wished for some of her own clothes; a pair of jeans, underwear, her favorite black boots, and a green cashmere sweater that matched her eyes. They appeared instantly and she put them on gratefully.

Leaving everything where it was, Sarah left the bedroom and somehow found her way to the throne room. There were a few goblins there but they ignored her, preferring their own simple diversions to acknowledgement of the tall, handsome woman in their midst.

Jareth wasn't there. Sarah frowned with uncertainty. She wasn't sure where else to look for the enigmatic Goblin King. In the Labyrinth, perhaps? But she'd never be able to find him there...would she?

Sarah made her way outside the castle and through the Goblin City. It was strange to see the city in what Sarah assumed was its normal state when she had so many memories that showed it otherwise. Goblins scurried through the streets, cackling merrily, holding loaves of bread or chasing chickens. She could smell breakfast cooking, and when she passed certain houses she could see goblin families living and working together inside. It was something of a revelation for her. As Sarah passed though the Gateway, where the giant robot had attacked her and her friends before, she felt a sudden appreciation for life in the Underground. Perhaps things weren't as different or strange as she thought.

She was standing at the edge of the Labyrinth when an idea suddenly came to her. Bending down, she picked up a smooth rock and held it up to her face.

"Take me to Jareth," she whispered, and put the stone back on the ground.

It did not move.

Sarah picked the rock up again and looked it over.

"Take me to Jareth, please?" she asked hesitantly, setting the stone down once again.

It still didn't move.

This was not a positive start to her plan. Annoyed, Sarah picked up another rock...

"It won't work," said a silky voice behind her.

Sarah turned around, startled. There was nothing there.

"Hello?" she called, confused. Something moved in the corner of her eye. She turned quickly to face it.

It was a python, curled within the branches of a medium-sized tree. The sight of it made Sarah jump.

"Ssssorry to frighten you," said the snake in a deep, kind tone.

"It's alright," Sarah replied, taking a step closer and looking the serpent over.

There was something mesmerizing about the eyes of this snake. They were quite black, but seemed to be covered by a sheen of color that reminded Sarah of the gas spots her car sometimes left in the driveway. The colors slid about beautifully each time the snake blinked. Sarah suddenly felt an urge to get closer, close enough to touch noses with the snake and stare into those fascinating eyes indefinitely. Thinking to herself that that might be considered rude, she settled for taking another step toward the tree itself.

"I am afraid His Majesty has made himself Un-Findable this morning. That is why the ssstone will not ssseek him out."

"Oh," said Sarah, feeling disappointed. Who knew when Jareth would be back? What would she do until then? "Did you happen to see which way he went?"

The snake shook his head, a movement Sarah found oddly fascinating. She took another step towards the great python and nodded politely.

"I'm Sarah Williams."

The huge snake hissed in surprise or alarm, Sarah was not sure which.

"You are the Great Sssssarah?" inquired the serpent, studying her intently.

"I'm Sarah," she replied dubiously. "I'm not so sure about the 'great' part."

"I've heard of you," said the snake, his eyes gleaming with interest. "In fact, every creature in this land has heard of you. The Great Sssssarah, who Mastered the Labyrinth nearly 10 years ago."

"Yes," said Sarah, smiling shyly. "That was me."

"How extrodinary!" proclaimed the serpent in such a way that Sarah felt warm and flattered all over. "Please come a little closer. My eyesight is not so keen, and I would like to see your face."

Sarah approached slowly, feeling quite self-conscious. The serpent, who had been sitting a little ways above her in the tree looking down at her, smoothly lowered his head until Sarah realized with some alarm that they were practically nose to nose.

"Ahhhhh, yes..." he hissed, and Sarah saw a forked black tongue flicker between his lips. "Quite lovely."

The compliment made her blush and she automatically looked from the pointed mouth into the serpent's eyes to see if he was being sincere. What she saw there mesmerized her: Great black orbs flashing with silky sheens of color in the early morning light. Sarah was stunned, feeling as though she could look into those eyes forever and never be bored with their unfathomable depths. She was afraid to blink, lest she break contact and they'd disappear.

"Perhaps I should introduce myself," whispered the snake. "I am called Sssserpithyus."

"Serpithyus..." Sarah sighed. The name was like music to her ears. "I'm pleased to meet you."

Her whole body felt warm and relaxed. A small part of her mind wondered how she could still be standing when her legs felt so limp. She didn't see the great coils as thick as her thighs drop down behind her. She wanted to look away from the eyes, for they were filling her vision and starting to frighten her, but she found it very hard to blink or move her _own_ eyes.

Something was wrapping itself around her waist. Her heart began to beat with slow terror. The hairs on her arms raised almost painfully.

"I should go back to the castle," Sarah winced at the sound of her voice. It was weak and uncertain. "Jareth will be looking for me."

"Perhaps," came the oily response.

"What are you doing?" she gulped, realizing that her arms would not move and that smooth, almost greasy snakeskin was moving over them. She could not look away from the Eyes to see for herself what was happening. It made the sensation that much worse.

"I should think it obvious by now," purred Serpithyus coolly. "I am making you my breakfast."

At that announcement Sarah was finally able to pull her eyes away from the awful slitted ones before her. The sense of her own body came rushing back and she started to struggle against the tight coils that were squeezing her mercilessly.

"Foolish human girl," the serpent hissed. "Didn't you listen to any of the ssstories your sssspecies has about sssnakes? You're quite naive...and entirely too trusting."

Sarah cried out. Tears mixed with sweat were pouring down her face. She was fighting a losing battle. She was completely out of control. Serpithyus's great coils were wrapped around her ribs, crushing them with ridiculous ease. She was gasping for breath.

"When Jareth...when he finds out..." she whispered.

Serpithyus chuckled menacingly.

"Foolish girl," he hissed. "Do you think the King will really care? You've broken his heart. If anything, he will be glad to learn of your fate."

"He loves me!" she managed to croak.

Serpithyus emitted a hissing chuckle.

"Do you know why I am here?" he asked her, almost conversationally. "His Majesty put me in this very tree to lure away and devour anything that came out of the Labyrinth and got this close to the Goblin City."

Sarah could no longer move her legs.

"No humans have come my way sssince your venture through the Maze. For ten years I have nearly ssstarved. Ironic isn't it, my dear? You're the reason why I'm sssso famished...and you will be the one to ssssate my hunger."

The serpent opened his mouth, revealing long pointed canines that were both delicate and deadly.

Sarah screamed.

And suddenly, a calmly arrogant voice rang in her ears.

"I wouldn't do that, if I were you."

Serpithyus expelled a loud hiss of surprise and swung his hanging head in the direction of the speaker. Jareth was leaning nonchalantly against the trunk of the tree, his arms crossed casually over his chest.

"Your Majesty!" croaked Serpithyus.

"I believe I gave orders for Sarah to remain unharmed only a few hours ago, Serpithyus," Jareth intoned with mock disbelief. "Would you care to tell me just what it is you're doing?"

The unbearably tight coils holding her upright suddenly loosened, and Sarah collapsed limply to the ground – completely unable to move.

"Ssssire," purred the enormous snake. "I had no idea that this delicate morsel was the Great Sssarah that you previously sssspoke of."

Jareth's face darkened and he straightened up.

"You lie," he growled. "And you will suffer for your disobedience."

With a flick of his wrist, the gigantic python vanished.

Sarah coughed weakly, trying to oxygenate her lungs. She tried once more to take a deep breath and tears came to her eyes when she succeeded.

Jareth was kneeling next to her in the dirt. Sarah looked up at his face.

If she'd been expecting tenderness or compassion she was in for a surprise, for there was no trace of any such emotion in his expression.

"Idiot girl!" he sneered. "I had no idea you were this foolish."

"I'm sorry," she croaked. "I didn't know..."

"Perhaps you could do with a little _common sense_, Sarah!" Jareth said, yanking her rather roughly to her feet. "I clearly should have locked you inside the castle."

Burning with indignation at this harsh statement, Sarah broke free of his grasp on her arm and pushed him back several inches.

"How dare you!" she exploded. "How dare you put this all on me! If you hadn't gone off and made yourself Un-Findable..."

"I had no desire to speak to you or anyone! I am the King! That is my prerogative!"

"Oh really? Last time I checked, running off and sulking like a child never helped a situation any!"

Jareth went white with rage and crystal appeared in his palm.

"I am sending you home NOW!"

"I will go home when I am READY!"

"Damn you, Sarah!"

"Damn _you_, Jareth!"

They glared at each other, both breathing hard and trying to stare the other down. At last, Jareth lowered his arm and took a step back.

"Very well," he said calmly, his voice showing no trace of the anger from minutes before. "Suit yourself."

He turned on his heel and began to stalk towards the Gate. Sarah clenched her fists and sighed in frustration.

Then, gritting her teeth, she turned and followed him.


	11. To the Bog!

Bet you thought I'd forgotten about this, hmm?

Enjoy.

----------------------------------------------------

"Jareth! Please stop!"

He didn't stop. He strode quickly and deliberately through the entrance to the Goblin City and ignored her.

Muttering under her breath, Sarah walked briskly behind him. She decided not to say anything for a few minutes, hoping that in that time Jareth would cool down and be willing to have a civil conversation with her.

He charged defiantly up the front steps of the castle, the same steps she'd once charged up rather defiantly herself. He stalked angrily through his throne room, mercilessly kicking goblins and chickens that weren't quick enough to get out of the way. Sarah followed, nimbly picking her path so as _not_ to kick any goblins. Jareth flew up a flight of stairs, but she wasn't far behind.

Suddenly, the Goblin King made a sharp left into a room that had haunted Sarah in some of her worst nightmares...A room full of twisting staircases, with no sense of what was up or down...She hesitated at the door.

Upon hearing no footsteps chasing him as he entered the Escher Room, Jareth turned to smirk at the young woman behind him. Then, with great composure, he stepped off the ledge in front of him.

Sarah gasped and ran to the offending ledge. She could see nothing spattered or broken on the numerous staircases below, and the sound of clicking boots just beneath her feet told her that Jareth was walking confidently on the underside of the surface she was standing on.

"Bastard," she hissed under her breath. Turning and running down the nearest staircase, Sarah caught a glimpse of spiky blond hair out of the corner of her eye. Whirling once more, she ran up another staircase in that direction, her blood humming in her ears.

"You'll never catch me, Sarah," he taunted mercilessly, his voice echoing everywhere, making him impossible to locate. Sarah raced across the surface of another plateau, eager to reach the descending staircase on the other side. She suddenly realized in horror as she neared the edge, that there was no staircase there; only air. Frantically, Sarah tried to slow her momentum, but it was too late. The world lurched horribly and was falling through the air...but then her foot met with something solid.

Surprised, Sarah opened her eyes, expecting to see the lower half of her body mangled from the fall...but she was standing up, and even better, she was standing up on the underside of the plateau she'd just fallen off of. A slow grin spread across her face. It seemed like something straight out of "The Matrix," but Sarah had learned to navigate the Escher Room.

Without hesitation, she closed her eyes and launched herself off the nearest ledge...only to find herself reoriented in an upright position. Giddy with victory, Sarah saw a flash of something black and sparkly, and she went after it like a shot.

"Come on, Jareth!" she called to the figure just ahead of her. "I need to speak with you!"

The Goblin King didn't answer. Instead he took a small staircase to his left. Sarah was after him in seconds, gaining on his lithe form millimeter by millimeter. Up, down, right, left, sideways, slantways...Sarah was beginning to tire, when at last she spotted her chance to catch up. Jareth had led them to a plateau with a bit of a stretch before the next ledge. If she sprinted quickly, she could take him. Jareth seemed to realize this only a moment too late, and then he hesitated, which gave Sarah the few precious seconds she needed to close the gap between them. Jareth whirled to face her...just as she crashed into him.

He landed on his back, and Sarah landed on top of him. In one swift movement, she straddled Jareth's hips and pinned his arms up over his head with her own.

"Thank you for that," she said calmly, gasping a bit for breath. "I enjoy a good workout in the morning." Jareth scowled at her.

"Well Sarah," he sneered angrily. "It seems you have my full attention."

"Don't I always?" she quipped.

"Get off me," he hissed.

"No."

"Get off me, now!" he snarled.

"Not a chance," she grinned.

"Sarah..."

"No, Jareth. You need to listen..."

"I will not!" he managed move his wrist enough to conjure a crystal. Sarah quickly knocked it away before her could form it into something. Disbelief followed by rage passed over his face. Sarah quickly shifted position to better restrain him as he struggled. She could feel his frustration almost scorch the small hairs on her arms.

"Sarah...please..." he gasped with a note of desperation. She suddenly realized that a very intimate part of her female anatomy was pressed in a rather compromising way against a very intimate part of his male anatomy. In revenge for the goose chase he'd just led her on, Sarah mercilessly ground her hips into his, causing Jareth to grunt, half in anger, half in lust. His eyes were burning furious holes into hers. She grinned back at him wickedly.

Suddenly with surprising strength, Jareth pushed her to the side, and used the momentum of her moving body to completely reverse their positions. Sarah cursed herself for letting her guard down. She couldn't move beneath him, and it was impossible to attempt to escape his grip.

"It's interesting, Miss Williams. You've spent considerable amounts of time and energy telling me to "leave you alone," and yet, the moment I try to leave, I find you chasing after me," Jareth intoned, holding her gently but firmly to the floor. She stared up at him defiantly "It seems to me that you have no idea _what_ you want," he continued coldly. "And I don't believe I have time for such childish games."

"Me? Childish?" Sarah scoffed incredulously. "I'm the one trying to have an adult conversation here, and you're the one running away like a five year old!"

Jareth scowled at her and stood up gracefully, leaving her free to do the same.

"I think it's time for you to leave the Underground, Sarah. There's nothing here for you."

"I don't _want_ to leave the Underground, Jareth."

"Then what _do_ you want?" Jareth hissed. "I have nothing more to give you Sarah!" His face was cruel, but his eyes were the saddest she'd even seen them. Her heart ached dully in response.

"I want time," she said softly. "Time to get to know you...to figure out if this can work."

She reached out and touched his gloved hand. He sighed and allowed her to slide her hand in his, his eyes still burning holes into her face. They stood like that for several minutes, neither speaking nor moving. Finally, Jareth sighed again, breaking the silence.

"You look exhausted," he commented tonelessly. Sarah scoffed.

"I barely slept last night," she said.

"Why not?"

"I had a lot to think about."

"Such as?"

"You, of course," she sighed, rolling her eyes. He was still holding her hand, absentmindedly stroking the back of it with his thumb, the sensation of which Sarah was almost painfully aware. Suddenly, another sensation made itself known; hunger. It had been awhile since she'd last eaten. Unbidden, a granola bar appeared in the hand Jareth wasn't holding. It was her usual breakfast food. She looked at it with dumb disbelief, unsure of how it had gotten there. Jareth was smirking at her.

"Hungry?" he asked teasingly.

"Famished," she answered distractedly, still staring at the bar in her hand. Jareth reached over and plucked it away for inspection, frowning in disapproval. Without warning, he tossed it casually over the ledge. Sarah opened her mouth to protest, but he silenced her with a look.

"I believe we can do better than that," he smirked. "Come on."

He pulled her through the room, moving at a pace much quicker than she was accustomed to. For a few brief minutes, "up" and "down" didn't exist, and by the time they reached the exit, Sarah felt a profound sense of vertigo. Clutching Jareth's hand tightly, she silently signaled her need to pause and catch her breath.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"Yes...just a little...dizzy," she gasped, straightening up and offering him a small smile. He squeezed her hand affectionately in response. Together, they found their way to what Sarah assumed was the dinning room. It was set only for two people at one end. The smell of hot food assailed her nostrils, and she was more than happy to sit down in the chair Jareth pulled out for her.

Sitting down in his chair, Jareth picked up a goblet of juice and raised it in her general direction. Sarah copied him.

"What shall we toast to, love?" he asked. Sarah thought for a moment.

"To our future: may we not kill each other in what we're about to attempt," she smirked, touching her goblet to the King's.

"Indeed," replied Jareth, sipping his drink and holding it towards her again. "To the Bog of Eternal Stench: let neither of us push the other in." Sarah giggled at that one and drank on it.

"To the Labyrinth's oubliettes!" she cried. "The perfect way to settle a lover's quarrel!" Jareth chuckled and drank, then paused and added in seriousness:

"To the Labyrinth: without which, none of this would be possible."

Sarah caught his mismatched eyes with hers and smiled in agreement. They each drank one last time, and proceeded to eat their first breakfast together.

------------------------------------------------------

Please review! -Coffee


	12. Wake up, Sarah

How long has it been since I wrote a new chapter for this story? Too long. Thank you, loyal reviewers, for waiting!

This chapter has some smut.

- Coffee

--

As they ate their first breakfast together, a powerful and unavoidable need for quality sleep overtook Sarah. Jareth watched with some amusement as she lowered her fork into the small pile of eggs on her plate, and then proceeded to nod off mid-bite. Only his outstretched palm on her forehead prevented her from falling face-first into her breakfast.

"Sorry," she muttered, trying to stifle a yawn. "Thanks…" she added with a pointed look at his gloved hand.

"Go to bed, love," he commanded, pointing towards the door.

"Only if you come with me," she quipped, grinning at him sleepily. Jareth gave her a dark look that made her warm in some interesting places and conjured a crystal. Before she knew what was happening, Sarah found herself lying in her bed, in her room at the castle, alone.

"Tease," she muttered. It took her all of one minute to strip to her panties, find a new nightgown in her wardrobe, and climb into bed. She noticed the sun beating through the windows of her room and wished there were some way to block out the light. It was then that she realized her canopy bed had thick, velvet bed curtains tied to each post. Sarah pulled at the ties, and her bed was plunged into near-total darkness. _Fantastic_, she thought, and promptly fell asleep.

--

When she woke, it was with the sensation that a good quantity of time had passed. Pleasantly drowsy, she rolled over and realized there was reason she'd woken up; there was someone in the bed with her.

"Don't you knock?" she murmured, rolling back over on her side away from him, mildly irritated at being disturbed. Jareth chuckled at her grumpy tone.

"You did invite me in," he whispered, reaching over and stroking her hair. Sarah could feel that he was still wearing his leather gloves, but seconds later she could tell he'd taken them off; his bare fingers traced light patterns across her scalp and combed gently through her long tresses. It was a heavenly sensation.

"What time is it?" she sighed, quietly enjoying his touch in the dark.

"Almost time for dinner," he replied. "I came to ask you to join me. I didn't think you'd still be asleep…not that I minded waking you up." She felt his weight shift on the bed, and suddenly his lips were in the sensitive curve of her neck.

"Well…" she squeaked, trying not to moan at the wonderful things he was doing to her. "I almost died a few times…I was tired."

The lips paused in their ministrations, and suddenly disappeared.

"I'm sorry," Jareth said, rolling away from her to lay on his back.

"Oh, hey," Sarah winced. "That wasn't a jab at you. I just meant that…I was…I needed to…sleep?" She rolled over to face him, though she couldn't see him in the dark cocoon her bed curtains had made for them. She reached out a blind hand to try and find him, and apparently he could see much better than she could, because he clasped it in midair and brought it down to rest over his heart. Sarah scooted closer to him, which was difficult because she was under the covers and he was lying on top of them. Jareth reached out and drew her close. She rested her head on his shoulder, enjoying the feel of his arm around her and the beat of his heart under her hand. They laid together like that for a few moments, neither one speaking.

Sarah began to explore the expanse of his chest under her hand. It was a nice chest, and a nice torso too. She moved her hand from side to side over his stomach. It was a good stomach. She moved back up to trace his collarbone and noticed that Jareth was breathing a little quickly. She grinned under the cover of the dark and moved her hand up the side of his neck to trace his jawline, his lips, his cheekbone, his ear…

She noticed then that Jareth had ever-so-sneakily slid the back of her nightgown up, and was now tracing tiny, intricate patterns over the small of her back. On her bare flesh. With his bare hand. Sarah shivered. She felt Jareth smirk at her as she was cupping his cheek. He leaned over and whispered in her ear.

"Minx."

"Tease," she hissed back, reaching up to run her fingers through his silky hair. He sighed and leaned into her touch. "Jareth…" she whispered.

"Mmmm?"

"Kiss me?"

It was like she'd broken the dam. One minute She had her head on his shoulder, his arm around her; the next minute she was pinned beneath him and he was ravishing her mouth with a startling intensity. Seconds later she was kissing him back, her arms wrapped around his neck with careless abandon and her fingers in his hair. He groaned and relinquished her mouth to once again press his lips to the base of her neck and trace small circles there with the tip of his tongue.

"_Jareth_," she panted which only encouraged him to begin nibbling her tender neck-flesh with his teeth. Stars burst behind her eyes, and she unconsciously dug her nails into his back in response. Jareth whimpered…he _whimpered_…and began whispering things against her skin. Sarah shifted beneath him, silently cursing the thick bedcovers trapped between their lower bodies. He was calling her names like 'darling,' and 'precious." His hand had slid up her ribs, under her nightgown, and over the firm swell of her breast, which he was expertly kneading. He slid the pad of his thumb back and forth over her raised nipple and Sarah moaned.

"_I love you_," he hissed into the curve of her neck. "_Sarah...sweet…my love..."_

Those words broke through the haze in Sarah's mind. Jareth loved her. He truly did love her. She believed him completely. It was clear from the reverent way he touched her and spoke her name as though it were a holy word; he was in love with her…and she realized that she could not have sex with him unless she was sure she loved him back. It wouldn't be right, it wouldn't be…fair…to reciprocate the love he was offering her with mere sex. Despite how amazingly wonderful it felt, she knew they'd both regret doing this later when he would face her with love in his eyes, and see only lust and affection in hers.

"Jareth," she said, reluctantly. "Jareth, stop…we can't…"

For the second time that evening, Jareth stopped what he was doing and moved away from her.

"What's wrong?" he sighed, his breathing harsh. Sarah wasn't sure how to answer him.

"I want to love you…It's not _right_ unless I love you…"

"Then _love_ me!" he growled, pulling her back to him.

"I can't! I need time!"

"_More_ time, Sarah?" Jareth snorted at the irony. "Why is it you're always asking me for _more time_?" Sarah didn't reply. They both lay there quietly, their rapid breathing subsiding. "Very well," Jareth sighed. "It's not like I'd ever force you…" Sarah snorted at that, but he ignored her. "Just please don't make me wait forever…" Jareth pressed a quick kiss to her temple.

"It's only forever," Sarah grinned. "It's not long at all."

--

Yay! I'm back! Tell me what you think. - Coffee


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